Rod Kloeckner of the Belleville News-Democrat quotes Harre’s son, Wayne, as saying, “It had its hind legs in one row, skipped a row and had its front legs in another row,” Wayne Harre said. “It was at least eight points. It was huge.”

According to Kloeckner’s story, the buck didn’t budge when Arnold Harre approached with his combine.

Arnold Harre eventually put the combine in reverse and dislodged the buck, which ran to nearby timber.

“I can’t believe it didn’t break the legs,” Wayne Harre said. “He said he reversed the corn head, it popped out of there and just took off. We went and looked for it that next morning and it was nowhere to be found.”

“That’s the dangest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said. “There’s so much power behind one of those corn heads, I can’t believe it didn’t break one of it’s legs.”

Corps officials said Thursday that the Wood River Levee is not in imminent danger, but it needs to be fixed before the next big flood. A repair plan and cost estimate have not been determined.

“It is an urgent situation, and it does need to be addressed as soon as possible,” said Chris Wilson, program manager for the corps office in St. Louis.

The levee protects thousands of homes, businesses and industrial sites in the Illinois communities of Alton, East Alton and Wood River. If it broke, flooding would cause damage estimated at $350 million.

Corps officials met Wednesday with county and community leaders. Calls to several officials were not returned.

The corps first became concerned in July when water was found seeping through the levee near the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, near Highway 143.

It was in an area where water that naturally seeps in and rainfall collect for draining or pumping back into the river. While some seepage is normal, the amount in July was enough that the corps began frequent monitoring.

Then, about three weeks ago, “sand boils” were discovered. Sand boils occur when river water on the outside of the levee creates enough hydrostatic pressure to push soil, and water, to the surface on the inside. Eventually, the flow can erode the levee foundation and cause failure.

Corps officials said the problem is even more pronounced during periods of high river levels. Heavy rain has occurred throughout the fall in the Midwest, and the river rose above flood level last month — unusual for this time of year. More rain this month has pushed the Mississippi above flood stage again in Alton.

On Thursday, the river was a half-foot above flood stage and expected to stay at that level or slightly higher until Monday.

Corps spokesman Alan Dooley said engineers have short-term solutions in mind if the river should suddenly rise to significant flood levels.

The corps believes the problem is partly due to relocation of the locks and dams about 25 years ago, when Lock and Dam 26 was moved about two miles downstream. The move caused a significant and permanent increase in the pool of water that sits against the levee, putting more pressure on the structure.

As a result, the repairs will be funded entirely with federal money. Wilson said the corps expects to have a cost estimate, repair plan and request for funding before Congress by the end of the year.

NORTHWEST

Crawford Creek Impoundment

Anglers have been catching a few medium-size bluegils and crappies.

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)

Walleye, catfish and white bass fishing have been fair this week.  Remember that Storm Lake has a 17-22 inch slot length limit.  All walleye in that range must be immediately released.  Channel Catfish - Fair: Try using a minnow or chub below a slip bobber.  White Bass - Fair: Anglers are having some luck casting twisters; chartreuse has been a good color.  Walleye - Fair: They are still catching fish using a minnow or chub under a slip bobber and fishing in the marina, but anglers are also catching walleye fishing rocky points.  People are also having luck using twisters (chartreuse) and also floating crank baits, like traditional Rapalas; black and silver has been a good color.  Walleye seem to be really shallow.  Make sure to immediately return slot length (17 to 22 inch) fish to the water.

Swan Lake

The water has cleared at Swan Lake and anglers are catching medium size crappie and bluegill.  Crappie - Good: Anglers have been doing well fishing for crappie, but they are fairly small (6 to 7 inches).

Fishing has been generally fair this week.  Weekend forecasts say it will be mostly sunny and in the low 50s; should be a good time to give your local lake or river a try.  For more information about these lakes and rivers call Don Herrig (712-657-2638) at the Black Hawk District Office in Lake View.

NORTHEAST

Volga Lake

Bluegill - Slow: A few small ones are biting along the dam.

Lake Hendricks

No Report.

Lake Meyer

No report.

Upper Iowa River (above Decorah)

Walleye - Good: Anglers have been catching nice walleyes in the deeper holes using jigs tipped with minnows.

Upper Iowa River (below Decorah)

Walleye - Good: Try concentrating on those deeper, slow moving holes.  Use a minnow-tipped jig for best results.

Turkey River (below Clermont)

Walleye - Good: Look for deeper holes with slower moving water.  Use a slow presentation.

Cedar River (above Nashua)

No report.

Decorah District Streams

Area trout streams are in excellent condition.  The water is extremely clear so sneaking up on those wiley fish is key.  Try angling in the late afternoon when insects are more likely to hatch.  Even though stocking has finished for the year, there are plenty of fish in the streams.

The Upper Iowa, Cedar and Turkey rivers are looking very good.  Area lakes are ready and waiting for anglers to dunk their lines in.  For information on stream conditions, please call the Decorah Fish Hatchery at 563-382-8324,

Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)

Water level is good and clarity is high.  Fishing is starting to pick up for walleyes and smallmouth.  Walleyes up to 8 ½  pounds have been reported.  Smallmouth Bass - Good: Try jig tipped with minnow in deep water areas.  Walleye - Good: Try jig tipped with minnow in deep water areas.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)

Water level is still falling and fishing is picking up for walleyes and smallmouth bass.  Walleye - Good: Jig with a minnow seems to be working the best.  Try the deep over wintering holes.

Wapsi River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)

The river is still falling to more normal levels and clarity is good.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)

Water level is falling still and the clarity is good.  Try fishing the deep overwintering holes. 

Maquoketa River (below Monticello)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.

NE Iowa interior rivers are still falling from recent rainfall events and fishing has been real spotty on the rivers. Reports are that anglers are beginning to pick up a few more fish now that the rivers are becoming more stable. Due to such unstable fall weather conditions, crappie fishing has only been fair to poor for most of our district lakes. For more information contact the NE Iowa District Office at (563) 927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River Pool 9

River level at Lansing is 8.0 and falling. Water temp is 44 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are starting to hit on waxworms in the backwaters.  Walleye - Good:  A few nice walleye being caught in Minnesota slough.

Mississippi River Pool 10

River levels at Lynxville are 14.3 and falling.  Water temp is 44 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Nice bluegills being caught near the Sny Magill area using small worms and wax worms.  Crappie - Fair: A few crappies still being caught in Joyce Lake near the tree piles.  Sauger - Good: More limits being caught but a lot of smaller fish being released.  Walleye - Good: A few anglers reporting nice catches of walleyes on minnows

Mississippi River Pool 11

River level at Guttenberg is 5.8 and falling.  Water temp is 44 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Anglers still catching bluegill near the marina and in Zollicoffer slough.  Crappie - Fair: A few crappie being caught in Swift and Dead slough.  Sauger - Good: A few more limits being caught with some nicer sized saugers reported recently.  Walleye - Fair: Occasional nice walleyes being caught but most of the action is for sauger.

Water levels continue to fall but will begin to stabilize over the next week. River levels at Guttenberg are 5.8, Lynxville 14.3 and Lansing 8.0.  Water temperature is 44 degrees.

Mississippi River Pool 16

Pool 16: Tailwater stage is 7.10 ft and forecasted to slowly fall over the weekend.  White Bass - Slow: A few white bass are being caught in Sylvan slough, on the wingdams, and in Sunset Marina.  Bluegill - Slow: Bluegill fishing in the backwaters has been slow.  Crappie - Slow: Crappie fishing in the backwaters has been slow.  Sauger - Slow: A few saugers are being caught in Sylvan Slough up by the dams on jigs and minnows. Some fish are also being caught pulling crankbaits on three-ways.  Walleye - Slow: A few walleyes are being picked up in Sylvan Slough up by the dams on jigs and minnows. A few fish are also being caught pulling crankbaits on three-ways.

Mississippi River Pool 17

Pool 17: Tailwater stage is 5.71 feet and forecasted to fall over the weekend.  Crappie - Fair: Some crappies are being caught in Big Timber on jigs/minnows or floating minnows under a bobber around brush piles.  Sauger - Slow: Sauger fishing in the tailwaters has been slow.  Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing in the tailwaters and on the wingdams has been slow.

Mississippi River Pool 18

Pool 18: Tailwater stage is 8.11 feet and forecasted to fall over the weekend.  Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being picked up floating minnows under a bobber in the backwaters around brush piles.  Sauger - Fair: Some saugers are starting to be picked up at the dam. Fish are being caught on jigs/minnows or pulling crankbaits on three-way rigs.  Walleye - Fair: Some walleyes are being picked up pulling three-way rigs with a crankbait or on jigs/minnows on the wingdams. Some walleyes are also being caught in the tailwaters while fishing for saugers.

Mississippi River Pool 19

Pool 19: Tailwater stage is 5.38 eeft and forecasted to fall over the weekend.  Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the backwaters floating minnows under a bobber.  Sauger - Slow: Sauger fishing has been slow in the tailwaters.  Walleye - Slow: Walleye fishing has been slow.

Mississippi River Pools 16-20: Rivers levels are forecasted to slowly fall over the weekend. Main channel water temperature is around 45-46 degrees. Fishing has been slow throughout the pools. For more information on fishing pools 16-20 contact the Fairport Fish Hatchery at 563-263-5062.

SOUTHEAST

Pollmiller Park Lake

The great November weather led a lot of people out on the lake.  There were not tremendous catches, yet some fish were caught.  Channel Catfish - No Report: No angling pressure at this juncture.  Bluegill - Fair: Jigheads tipped with a small chunk of nightcrawler/waxworm placed in submerged structure may help you catch fish.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use crank baits and deep water lures near structure to produce some nice fish.  Crappie - Slow: Very few crappies are being caught.

Lake of the Hills

Overall, fishing is slow.  Anglers are still catching rainbow trout, but in smaller numbers.  Rainbow Trout - Slow: Use worms, dough bait, or a small jig tipped w/ a waxworm under a bobber.  Fish are continually moving so be patient.  The Gate 6 area produced a 7 lb 14 oz. brood fish on Nov. 8.

Lake Macbride

There will be another riprap project on the lake this winter. The outlet valve was opened Tuesday, Nov. 17. As of today (19th) the lake is down 6 inches. The lake will be lowered 8-10 feet to allow for equipment access to shorelines and islands. This level is hoped to be achieved in 2-3 weeks.  Crappie - Slow: A few fish are being picked off from deeper brush with small jigs or minnows.

Pleasant Creek Lake

Crappie - Slow: Some suspended fish are being caught on jigs or minnows.  Walleye - Slow: A few anglers are picking up the occasional walleye.

Coralville Reservoir

Fishing has been essentially non-existent due to extremely high water.  As of 11/19, the lake level is 702’ and is projected to fall less than a half a foot per day.

Wapsi River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)

Walleye - Fair: Some nice sized fish are being caught in deeper wintering holes. Jigs or live bait have been producing best.

With the weather and water cooling, fishing activity has been low, resulting in lack of available reports. For more information contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

SOUTHWEST

Big Creek Lake

Crappie - Slow: Some crappies are being caught by drifting minnows or small pink and white jigs in the main lake over the roadbeds.  They are being caught suspended from 5 to 15 feet deep.

Hickory Grove Lake

The panfish populations are looking good.  Good numbers of crappies are present with fish up to 11 inches.  Bluegills are averaging 8 to 9 inches.  This should make for a good ice fishing season.

Saylorville Reservoir

White Bass - Good: Rains have caused water to start going over the Big Creek spillway again.  Anglers are catching a few white bass here.  Crappie - Good: Crappie are being caught around Marina boat docs on small jigs and minnows.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: Anglers fishing for white bass below the Big Creek spillway are also hooking in to a few good sized wipers.

Lake Petoka

Approximately 1,500 trout will be stocked on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Banner Lake (south)

Rainbow Trout - Good: 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked Thursday, October 29.  They can be caught using a variety of methods including crawlers, minnows, and artificial scented baits under a bobber or just off the bottom, or small inline spinners.

A lack of fishing activity over the past week has led to few fishing reports.  More reports will be added as the ice fishing season begins in December.  Contact Ben Dodd or Andy Otting at (515) 432-2823 for information on the above area lakes and rivers.

Lake Manawa

Anglers have been catching crappies on the warmer days in the canals adjacent to the lake on small minnows.  A few walleyes and wipers have been caught from near the inlet to Mosquito Creek.  Crappie - Fair: Fish with minnows in the canal areas on warmer days this fall.  Walleye - No Report: A few walleyes have been caught near the inlet from Mosquito Creek.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - No Report: Try the North shore area near the inlet to Mosquito Creek for wiper in the fall.

Middle Raccoon River (above Van Meter)

We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week.  Smallmouth Bass - No Report: Flows have dropped and smallmouth bass are headed to overwintering areas that contain deeper water.  Look for fish below the low head dams.  Walleye - No Report: Walleyes will soon be concentrated in over wintering holes below the low head dams.  Try slow fishing a jig and minnow combination.

Fall has arrived in Southwest Iowa and this can be a great time to fish as water temperatures drop. Fewer people are fishing which makes it harder to gather fishing report information. My advice is to fish when the weather permits in areas you have had success in the past. If you are looking for a spot don’t hesitate to contact DNR Fisheries. For more information contact Bryan Hayes or Mark Boucher at the Cold Springs District Office (712)769-2587.

Lake Icaria

Water temps are in the upper 40s.  Water quality is good.

Green Valley Lake

The lake is down 12 feet until completion of a sediment removal project planned for this winter.  The lake has been restocked and will be allowed to refill in spring 2010.  Campground upgrades are nearing completion.

Summitt Lake

Lowering the lake’s water level has begun.  Shoreline protection will be added this winter.  The lake will be refilled and restocked in the spring.

Three Mile Lake

Water temps are in the upper 40s.  Clarity is good.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake

Water temps are in the upper 40s.

Water temps have fallen into the 40s.  Water quality remains good or very good at most lakes.  Very few anglers are fishing but several fish are being caught.  Fish are moving wintering areas.

The high water has impacted some sites around the lake. All high water boat ramps are open at this time.  High water boat ramps are located in Bo Wood, Dam West, Lithia Springs, Lone Point, Opossum Creek, Wilborn Creek, Eagle Creek State Park, and Wolf Creek State Park. Coon Creek and Whitley Creek are the only primary recreation areas with all boat ramps closed due to high water.

All secondary boat ramps are closed. This includes Coal Shaft Bridge, Sand Cove Road, Johnson’s Bluff and Bruce West.

The Illini Backpacking Trail, which runs from Lone Point Recreation Area to Eagle Creek State Park, Coon Creek Trail, and Okaw Bluff Trail are all closed. Hikers can still use the Camp Camfield Trail and the General Dacey Trail.

If you are out boating on the lake you are strongly cautioned to watch for floating debris and submerged hazards on the lake.

As the water at Lake Shelbyville continues to remain above normal levels, visitors should be aware that more areas might be temporarily impacted. Call ahead for information before coming to the lake. Information will be available on the Lake Shelbyville Information Line at 217-774-2020 or contact the Lake Shelbyville Project Office at 217-774-3951. Revised news releases will be issued as lake conditions change.

Many shotgun hunters have spent recent weeks dreaming of big bucks during their seven-day season, which lasts through Sunday and reopens Dec. 3-6.

For diehard bowhunters like Chuck Thome Jr., though, there’s a sense of relief in already having a big buck down. Actually, this is a nerve-wracking week for archers who fear the bucks they are hunting will fall to the gun.

That’s one of many reasons Thome was elated last Sunday when he shot a big Fulton County 12-pointer on brother Jim Thome’s farm near Ellisville. The deer — whose wide rack could qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s exclusive record books — met his demise while following a doe.

“I owe it to the doe. That’s the only reason I killed him,” said Chuck Thome, who made a 24-yard shot through a narrow shooting lane that the buck walked past while in close pursuit of a doe.

That’s a fairly common story in November, when whitetail breeding season peaks.

That also made up for a slow bow season for the Thome clan, who have been frustrated by too much standing corn in the area they are hunting. “And it’s going to get tougher once the guns start booming and those bucks head for the corn or for wherever big bucks go,” Thome said.

State deer biologist Paul Shelton echoed those comments, saying he expects standing corn to have an impact on the shotgun season kill total.

“There’s plenty of deer out there and weather conditions should be good, but with all the crops in the field, it’s going to put a little damper on it,” Shelton said. “I don’t look for us to have a record-setting year by any means.”

Through Monday, Illinois farmers had harvested just 52 percent of the corn crop compared to the average of 95 percent for this time of year. Wet weather this week kept most combines in the shed, meaning there will still be ample hiding places for deer.

Last year, with 87 percent of the corn crop harvested, firearm hunters wound up shooting 106,018 deer during the seven-day season — the lowest gun total since 2003.

Corn or no corn, the woods will be busy. Illinois has issued or sold more than 360,000 permits for the firearm season. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Anyone planning to visit state parks or other public areas is advised that there may be deer hunters in the woods. So be alert.

Thome may not join the gun-toting crowd, though. Not with his biggest buck ever already in the freezer.

“I prefer shooting them with a bow,” Thome said. “I’m still on cloud nine.”

His buck capped a memorable year that also saw the birth of his first grandson, Gavin James Stephens. “It doesn’t get any better than getting a grandson and a Boone and Crockett buck in the same year,” Thome said.

Click here to read the full Sun-Times fishing report.

INDIANA:
POINT North of English Lake: Smallmouth Bass good on combined: *Weighted Keeper Hook, Double Twister Tail, Minnow ** Mepps #3 Spinner
PIKE: Fair at mouths of ditches on *large minnows *Doctor Spoons *Dardevles.

RT. 55 AREA: *Pike at Bayou and Ditch mouths on big minnows. Walleye fair here on *crankbaits *Yellow Bucktail jigs.  Catfish good along shorelines on *minnows *crawlers *cheesebaits.

ILLINOIS:
EAST OF MOMENCE: Walleye fair on *jig and minnow *Rattlin’ Rogue *Jig and Crawler.  SMALLMOUTH BASS good *live minnows *Twister tails *Crankbaits.
CATFISH fair on *minnows *cheesebaits.
ROCK BASS GOOD on *live minnows *live crawlers * #1 Mepps Spinners.

KANKAKEE RIVER STATE PARK: Smallmouth Bass along quiet shorelines on Keeper Hook & Twister tails *minnows *crankbaits *#3 Mepps spinners. Catfish good on *cheesebaits *minnows #crawlers.

WILMINGTON AREA: *Smallmouth Bass good on *Rattlin’ Rogue *jig and minnow.
Catfish good on *cheesebaits *minnows crawlers.Walleye fair on *jig and minnow *Crank Baits.

FISHERMEN CAN LOCATE THESE PLACES in the KANKAKEE RIVER PACKAGE. If your dealer doesn’t have it, phone us to order at 815 932 7285.

Steve Sandor of Ottawa, Illinois and Jeremy Piacenti of Tiskilwa finished first postion with a six fish limit weighing 12.51 pounds earning them $2,200.00. Steve and Jeremy were fishing below Hennepin. Placing second from Sparland was Rick Parrott and Mike Tatera form St. Charles with a six fish limit weighing 12.23 pounds earning them $1,250.00. Placing third were brothers Greg and Jerry Gott from LaMolle, Il. with a six fish limit of 9.68 pounds cashing $875.00. Big fish honors went to the team of Steve Jones and Nick Mancos a 3.59 Sauger worth $420.00.

As part of the GrassRoots fishing Challenge from Lund Boats and compliments of Hennepin Marine the highest placing team in a Lund Boat wins $500.00. This tournament the winners were Guy Lopez and Paul Dimock from Chicago. The second Lund Boat out of the money compliments of Hennepin Marine earns a $100.00 gift certificate and this tournament were Tom Jr. and Tom Sr. Giachetto of Ladd Illinois.

Compliments of WoodStock Fishing Line Company the team of John Smith and Jason Wrosch each won a 200 yard spool of 15 pound Lead core line with second largest fish.

The Illinois Walleye Trail is a participating Tournament Trail for the Cabelas National Team Championship and the (AIM) Anglers Insight Marketing.

Our next Tournament will be November 29, at Spring Valleye Illinois. Complete results can be located at http://www.prairielandeyes.com We want to Thank our fine sponsors Hennepin Marine, Lund Boats, Mercury Marine, WoodStock Line company, and Cabelas.

This fall the Utah Department of Transportation is using federal economic stimulus dollars to do something about it. Workers are building a 7-foot-6-inch fence to block the animals from both sides of the busiest crossing in a roughly three-mile stretch between the East Canyon and Lamb’s Canyon exits.

It’s all the $395,000 budget would allow, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it’ll keep the animals from finding a new place to cross Interstate 80. After all, the north side of the road has a strong appeal for wildlife struggling through snow on the south: sunshine.

“They want to get up onto greener pastures,” said Dale Liechty, a wildlife biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “On the (north) side of the road there it’s south-fac ing slopes and it melts off quite readily.”

The results often are ugly, according to UDOT statistics from 2005 to 2007, the most recent three years of compiled data. Especially when it comes to deer, the carcasses pile up every winter. In the 12 miles between Salt Lake City and Parleys Summit, crews removed 219 roadkill carcasses. Fifteen of those were moose and nine were elk, while most were deer.

Eighty-nine of the crashes happened in the stretch that UDOT now is fencing.

During the three-year span, no one in a vehicle was killed, though two of the accidents caused serious injuries. Previously, in 2004, a single crash killed three people.

The animals start out near the summit and come down a ridge south of the freeway this time of year as snow stacks up, Liechty said. They have a choice of following the ridge all the way down to near the Salt Lake Valley floor or crossing to those sunny northern slopes. Deer individually or in small groups are a con stant threat, and elk sometimes cross in herds of dozens or more.

Moose, the most massive obstacles, are more random in their movements, Liechty said, because they’re often content to hang out in chest-high snow.

Workers from West Valley City’s United Fence Co. were stapling wire to wooden posts on Friday and expect to finish up in early December. Crew member Frank Brunson said he has seen several deer approach the fence and turn back since he’s been on the job. A big buck came within 100 yards on Thursday and watched the workers.

“I was kind of wondering if he could jump this,” Brunson said. “I’ve seen them jump 6-foot fences and clear them.”

UDOT designed the fence in consultation with state wildlife biologists, said Steve Poulsen, the engineer in charge of construction. Its height should block the animals better than the old right of way fences, which were 6 feet or shorter. The wire mesh also has narrower openings - and in V shapes instead of rect angles - to keep big game from getting hooves and antlers tangled.

Animals that still want to reach the north side may use the unfenced underpasses at each exit. The budget didn’t allow for grated cattle guards at the on- and off-ramps, so crews painted white stripes on the pavement instead, hoping to fool the animals into believing there’s a barrier.

“It will prevent (most) animals from getting inside the roadway between those two exits,” Poulsen said. “But if they should (get inside), we’ve also included 15 escape ramps.”

Those ramps lead to slots in the fencing where animals can leap down a 6-foot wall to the outside. That wall is meant to deter them from leaping the other way from outside the fence.

Hunters would be able to deduct the cost of having their kill butchered for donation. Schumer said the processing cost is typically $65 to $80.

Tax incentives would also be provided to processors that butcher game for non-profit organizations such as the Venison Donation Coalition, which pays to process donated game and then gives the meat to food pantries.

Schumer said Wednesday the processors wouldn’t have to pay taxes on the income received from a non-profit group, and could pass the savings on to the organization.

The measure should help traditional venison donation programs, which have seen their funding levels slashed in recent years, Schumer said. The Venison Donation
Coalition received $100,000 in state funding two years ago but only $21,000 this year, he said. Private donations also have declined.

According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, more than 220,000 deer were taken by hunters in New York state in 2008.

“The deer population is definitely down,” said Rick Weide, Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist for Lincoln and Langlade counties.

“I didn’t see as many fawns this summer and I think that was a pretty common observation. It follows a hard winter in 2007-2008, which means fewer yearling bucks will be around this year. I think we’re definitely looking at a lower buck kill.”

Keith Warnke, DNR deer expert, said a reduction in antlerless permits in most zones and elimination of antlerless permits altogether in others will most likely drag the statewide deer kill down.

Hunters registered 342,601 deer during the 2008 gun deer season, the lowest harvest in six years despite liberal use of antlerless permits and earn-a-buck. The kill represented a drop of nearly 50,000 deer from the 2007 season.

Subsequently, earn-a-buck, a provision that required hunters in specific units to register an antlerless deer before taking a buck, was scrapped at hunters’ request.
The outlook isn’t entirely bleak.

“The picture changes from north to south,” said John Huff, DNR wildlife biologist for Marinette and Oconto counties. “Hunters in the farm fringe areas of southern Marinette and southern Oconto counties will probably find more opportunities available than hunters in the northern forest.”

Fewer antlerless permits have been issued in the north, which should allow the future deer population and deer habitat to build, he said.

Huff said early bowhunting results have not been compiled. “But I’m not hearing as many negative comments (on hunting prospects) this year as I did last year.”

Acorns, which can be a deer magnet in forested areas, are reportedly numerous in portions of central Wisconsin, but “real spotty around here,” Huff said.

Weides aid opening weekend hunters should seek out areas where acorns are abundant, explaining, “If there’s deer around, that’s where they are going to be.”

Paul Samerdyke, DNR wildlife biologist for Waushara County, said the deer hunting outlook “should be good” in his area. He cautioned, however, that “deer sightings and opportunities will vary from place to place, even in the same deer management unit or even in the same neighborhood.”

He said earn-a-buck regulations saved some bucks in 2008, and those animals will “likely foster some larger buck opportunities” this year.

Rutting activity is in full swing throughout Wisconsin. The peak of breeding is said to occur typically around Nov. 10-15, but the final phase always seems to linger into the early days of the hunting season. Unusually warm November weather appears to have had a cooling effect on deer movement in some areas.

While deer hunters have been known to gripe about having to shoot antlerless dee r, Weide said he’s been getting complaints that antlerless tags are unavailable in northern “bucks only” management units.

“People are not familiar with that restriction,” he said.

It’s only been in the last two to three decades that antlerless permits have become readily available. Prior to that, “bucks only” was the predominant statewide rule.

How far will the upcoming deer harvest plummet?

The DNR is not making predictions, but State Farm, a leading auto insurer, reports that car-deer collisions in Wisconsin dropped nearly 4 percent between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

During that same time period, Iowa saw car-deer mishaps rise 17 percent while Michigan reported a 14 percent increase, Minnesota a 9 percent boost and Illinois saw its collision rate jump 3 percent.

“It’s not going to be a stellar deer season,” Weide said. “That’s for sure. Hopefully, the (reduced antlerless) quotas will pay dividends next year.”

In a year when 200-inchers abound, we’re taking time to feature a heavy 12-point typical buck out of Fulton County killed by Todd Staley.

Staley’s big buck is a likely Boone and Crockett Club qualifier and is yet another reason hunters are already calling this one of the best bow season’s in memory.

Likely the best buck so far is still the giant killed by Chris Kiernan. Kiernan’s buck alone would make this one a memorable season. Add to it the trio of 200-inchers shot by bowhunters named Nate and you’ve got something really impressive. And gun season is still ahead.

Unseasonably cool weather helped bowhunters enjoy a strong start to the 2009-10 deer season. Two deer that will score well over 200 inches were taken in the first few weeks of the season. In late October, two more 200-inchers fell to bowhunters. Another three 200-inchers were reported in early November, not to mention some very impressive typical bucks, as well. November has produced at least five 200-inchers and gun season has not even started yet.

Check back often throughout the season as we will update this story as needed.

Generally we use this space to feature bucks that appear likely to qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s record books.

Please let us know about any additions we need to make by sending an e-mail to editor@prairiestateoutdoors.com or by posting a comment below. Thanks.

ARCHERY SEASON

Here are some of the top bucks reported so far by bowhunters in Illinois. If you have a buck that is missing from this list, use the following form: Submit your story.

NON-TYPICAL

Chris Kiernan’s 37-pointer

Score: Big, 200 inches plus, plus
Date: Nov. 3, 2009
County: Grundy or maybe Kendall, not sure yet
Details: Bowhunter Chris Kiernan reportedly shot this monster buck near Morris during the first week of November. The deer may have 27 points on one side and 17 on the other, though not all are scorable. As the story goes, he had been hunting the deer for two years.

Nate Webster’s 28-pointer

Score: TBA
Date: Oct. 2, 2009
County: Moultrie
Details: Click here to read more about how Webster, 32, shot this big buck while hunting from the ground on the second day of archery season. He had seen the buck on opening day, but not prior to that.

Nate Campbell’s 29-pointer

Score: Likely 230-inch buck
Date: Oct. 10, 2009
County: McDonough
Details: Click here to see more pictures and read more about how Campbell of Beardstown shot this big buck in the evening on Oct. 10 and then backed out and found the buck on the morning of Oct. 11. The double-drop-tine buck has six extra non-scorable points.

Joe Graber’s 25-pointer

Score: 217 inches, reportedly
Date: Oct. 26, 2009
County: Madison
Details: Joe Graber of Edwardsville had known about this big bruiser for four years and finally shot him in the evening on Oct. 26 in Madison County. Amazingly, Graber’s arrow was deflected and wound up hitting the buck in the center of its ear. Click here to read more.

Brian McNeff’s 23-pointer

Score: TBA
Date: Nov. 11, 2009
County: Brown
Details: As the story goes,McNeff was driving when he saw this buck chasing a doe in a partially cut cornfield. After getting permission from the landowner, Brian stalked it and shot it at 35 yards. The buck traveled 50 yards before dropping. The deer has 23 points and 26-inch main beams.

Nate Stichter’s 19-pointer

Score: 210 inches gross
Date: Oct. 23, 2009
County: Rock Island
Details: Click here to read more. Bowhunter Nate Stichter, 28, who has been an archery hunter for the past 14 years, shot this buck while bowhunting on Oct. 23. He and brother Brandon found sheds from the buck last spring.

Scott Juenger’s 20-pointer

Score: 210 inches green, not sure if gross or net
Date: Nov. 11, 2009
County: Washington
Details: Juenger was playing poker on his cell phone when he heard a ruckus and the buck walked to within 10 yards of where he was set up. Click here to read more.

Greg Smith’s 16-pointer

Score: No word yet
Date: Nov. 13, 2009
County: Cass
Details: Smith is from Sharpsburg, Ga. and was hunting on public ground in Illinois when he killed this beauty.

Dan Nordstrom’s 18-pointer

Score: Green scored 200 3/8, possibly gross
Date: November 2009
County: Mercer
Details: Nordstrom of Coal Valley shot this buck with a 23.5-inch spread from 23 yards while the deer was quartering away. The deer weighed 196 pounds field dressed and was estimated to be 4.5 years old.

Charles Turner’s 14-pointer

Score: 202 4/8 inches, reportedly
Date: Nov. 5, 2009
County: Rock Island
Details: Turner shot this buck 11 minutes after leaving his truck at 12:10 p.m. in 56-degree weather. “Shot him at 20 yards
while standing in plain view in a cut bean field.  Can’t believe he didn’t
bolt from the sound of my knees banging together.”

Jim Mohn’s 21-pointer

Score: Green scored at 194 2/8 inches
Date: Nov. 5, 2009
County: Peoria
Details: Mohn shot this buck near Banner Marsh at about 5 p.m. as the buck was following a couple of doe into a bean field. His 46-yard shot was good, but he did not recover the deer until the next morning when wife Charlene found it.

TYPICAL

John Hoffman’s 11-pointer

Score: Green scored 183 inches
Date: Oct. 23, 2009
County: Lake County
Details: Hoffman stalked this buck on the ground and got a 20-yard.Both of his G3s are over 14 inches.

Alan Jenkins’ 16-pointer

Score: Jenkins said rough green score was 201 6/8 gross typical and 185 6/8 net typical
Date: Oct. 19, 2009
County: West central Illinois.
Details: Click here to see more pictures and read more about how Jenkins shot this big buck in his first year of bowhunting.

Todd Staley’s 12-pointer

Score: 180s
Date: Nov. 12, 2009
County: Fulton County
Details: This buck came out of standing corn toward Staley who said it was probably a good thing he couldn’t see the rack and get nervous.

Jeff Campagna’s 16-pointer

Score: Grossed 191.5 inches green
Date: Nov. 1, 2009
County: Warren County
Details: Campagna is from Moline and had trouble drawing on this buck before getting the job done.The buck field dressed at 230 pounds, has an inside spread of 22 inches and is expected to be a net Booner.

Someone’s 11-pointer

Score: Word is this one grossed 187 inches
Date: Appears to be early November, 2009
County: Pike County
Details: We don’t have any real details on this buck yet, aside from a picture that proves this monster is really, really big.

Craig Warmington’s 11-pointer

Score: 172 inches
Date: Oct. 28, 2009
County: Greene
Details: The buck has 28-inch main beams, a 22-inch inside spread and nearly 14-inch G2s. Warmington heads Vital Gear’s marketing department.

Trent Schneider’s 14-pointer

Score: 164 4/8 green score net
Date: Nov. 4, 2009
County: Lake
Details: Click here to read more about how Schneider shot this buck out of a ground blind and captured the hunt on video. He also has video of the same buck back on Oct. 9.

FIREARM SEASON

This will be the spot for top bucks reported by gun hunters in Illinois. If you have a buck that is missing from this list, use the following form: Submit your story.

Q: In recent years, you’ve watched and hunted the big 8-point buck the DNR says was poached near Cannon Falls.

A: Yes. We could have shot it various times, if we would have done it illegally, or out of season. We’ve seen him several times. Sometimes crossing a road at night. Or after legal shooting hours.

Q: When did you see him first?

A: Four years ago, the Thursday before the gun season. I was brushing my teeth that morning, looking out a window, and saw him. He was following a doe. I could see that he was unique right away. Wide, with good mass. And, like now, he was an 8-pointer.

I would guess his inside spread back then might have been about 22 inches, compared to the 28 or so he is now. He was just a really good deer. Nothing of the caliber he turned into. But really good.

Q: Did you hunt his sheds in winter and spring?

A: I did, but I didn’t find the first pair until after the hunting season of ‘07. We also found the ones that grew in ‘08. They just kept getting bigger. They were huge. I thought, “This is a great deer.” This year they got bigger again, when I compared last year’s sheds to the ones of the deer killed on Halloween. Not so much in the spread or tine length. The tine length actually went backward a little. But in mass. We always figured one year he would regress in antler size. But he hadn’t yet. It’s my belief he was 7½ or 8½ years old.

Q: Who knew about this deer?

A: As far as I know, there were two guys and one woman, myself included. We’ve been really tight-lipped. The first year I saw him I took some video and I shared the video with some friends. I didn’t do it right away. But finally, I just had to show someone and said I can’t keep this to myself anymore. So for the last three years we’ve had tremendous camaraderie centered on this deer. We knew what we were hunting. Then again, we figured that because there were only three of us hunting specifically for this deer, it probably wasn’t going to happen.

Q: What do you know about the habits of this buck?

A: He was nocturnal, as you would expect. He would slip up occasionally, which gave us hope. Somewhat surprisingly to us, he was shot about 4 miles away from what we believe was his home range. We knew he stayed close for the most part, and we knew where he spent most of his time. We never bothered him there.

Q: Did you ever shoot at him?

A I took a shot at him four years ago with a muzzleloader during the muzzleloader season. It was about a 100-yard shot. I had my muzzleloader zeroed at 100 yards with bipods. But shooting with bipods is different than shooting when you are excited. It was a clean miss.

Q: Outside of the hunting season, how often did you see him?

A: Every once in a while, my neighbor or I would see him. You just knew with that spread that it was him. We probably had six confirmed sightings of him among the three of us over the last few years. Which raised a question for us: Did he also have a summer range that he moved to? Maybe. But we don’t think so. In our hearts we believe he lived year-round near us.

Q In Zone 3, which is southeastern Minnesota, are there many deer drives during the firearms season? Are there deer drives near where you live? If there are, it would seem this deer wouldn’t have been able to hide for as long as he did.

A: I agree. But around here, there really isn’t much deer driving. I know a lot of my neighbors and they all stand-hunt.

Q: Did you score any of the sheds you found?

A: Yes. Last year’s sheds, for instance, were in really good shape when we found them. When I add in the spread of the antlers taken on Halloween, I’m guessing they would have scored 180-185 typical. Symmetry was the nicest thing about this buck. In my mind it’s the fact that he had only 8 points that made him so special. And his mass and spread were unbelievable.

Q Did this buck, elusive and ghostlike that he was, inspire you as a hunter?

A He did in many ways. One was that I knew as I hunted him and thought about him that I could never, ever, ever live with myself if I killed him any way except by legal hunting. The guilt and regret you’d feel the rest of your life would be unbearable.

Q: Did he have offspring in the area that were noticeably similar?

A: I shot a deer Nov. 1st I thought might be him actually, or a son of his. My deer wasn’t as wide. But we hadn’t seen Fred - we called the big deer Fred - this fall yet. So I thought this might be him. I called my neighbors and said I may have shot Fred. They came over to help find him. I wasn’t convinced it wasn’t him. We were divided because of the similar characteristics. Some said it had to be him. Others said no it can’t be.

Q: What did your buck score?

A: He grossed around 165 as an 11-pointer. I think I have 8 to 10 inches of deductions, so he’ll go about 155 typical as an 8. I was very happy shooting that deer. It’s the biggest deer I ever shot.

But I’ve come to realize in recent days that my deer wasn’t Fred. That didn’t bother me. But hearing that Fred might have been taken illegally was like a punch in the gut.

I feel robbed, and I hope other Minnesotans feel robbed also, especially everyone in the area. They were all robbed. Particularly my neighbor’s kids and grandkids. Just the thought that there was a giant deer in our area killed illegally changes their perspective on hunting this year.

I have friends who had deer poached near their homes. These big bucks are smart and they’re nocturnal. You see this too many times, that these deer are killed illegally.

We have a new shining law this year, and I’m glad we do. In accordance with that law I’ve posted my land against shining. In the past all you could do is watch them shine your property and your neighbor’s property and wait to see if a gun goes off. Now, if you’re posted and someone shines your property, all you have to do is call the DNR.

People need to be vigilant. Keep the Turn In Poachers number handy. Plug it into your cell phones. Call the DNR. Conservation officers would rather have too much information than not enough. Let’s try to make a positive out of this tragedy and reduce how often it happens in the future. These are everyone’s resources.

Workers at the Morry Hoffman Insurance Agency on Route 286 in Plum Borough say four deer smashed through the office’s front plate glass window Tuesday afternoon.

One employee, Barbie Shlifer (SHLEE’-fer) says “It was like a flash of hoofs and fur.”

Another employee grabbed a door that was off its hinges and used it to shield himself and shoo the deer back toward the broken front window, which the animals jumped through and ran away.

The animals left dirt marks, blood spots and even kicked down a door when they apparently panicked inside the office about 15 miles east of Pittsburgh.

The state Department of Conservation says 86,202 deer were killed last weekend. That’s down 12 percent from last year’s opening weekend.

Missouri’s firearms deer season began Saturday and runs through Nov. 24.

Conservation agency scientist Lonnie Hansen says the Saturday figures actually were slightly better than last year’s. He says the big drop-off occurred Sunday, when parts of the state were hit with heavy rain.

“Deer hunting is part of our outdoor heritage in Illinois, and we want to encourage all hunters heading to the field this week for the start of the firearm season to make safety their first priority,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller.  “Hunters always need to be conscious of firearm and tree stand safety to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunt.” 

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 106,018 deer during the seven-day firearm deer hunting season in 2008.  More than 360,000 permits have been issued to date for the 2009 firearm season. Click here for information on remaining permits.

The legal hunting hours for the firearm deer season are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hunters successful in taking a deer during the firearm season in most counties must register (check in) the deer they harvest by going online at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/vcheck or by phoning 1-866-IL-CHECK (1-866-452-4325).  Hunters using the online or phone-in system must register their harvest by 10 p.m. on the day they take the deer.  It is recommended that hunters using cell phones to register their harvest wait until they are out of the field and have a clear cell phone signal before attempting to make the harvest report phone call.

Firearm deer hunters in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties are reminded to bring their deer to mandatory check stations.  Biologists will be sampling adult deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD), to determine areas of infection and prevalence rates.  The check station locations are listed below (Note:  except for Winnebago County, they are in the same locations as last year):
Boone:  Boone Co. Fairgrounds, located one-half mile north of Rt. 76 and Business Rt. 20, Belvidere

DeKalb:  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona

Grundy:  Gebhard Woods State Park; 401 Ottawa St., Morris

Kane:  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona

LaSalle:  Buffalo Rock State Park, three miles west of Ottawa on Dee Bennett Rd.

McHenry:  Moraine Hills State Park, McHenry Dam day use area, east of McHenry on
River Road, 2.2 miles south of Rt. 120

Ogle:  Castle Rock State Park, Rt. 2, three miles south of Oregon

Stephenson:  Stephenson Co. Fairgrounds, one mile east of Rt. 26 and Fairgrounds Road, Freeport

Winnebago (NEW LOCATION):  Rock Cut State Park (hunters should utilize the Hwy 173 entrance and follow the signs)

Hunters who participate in the CWD sampling can check the status of their deer through the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/cwd/.  Hunters who provide samples from deer that test positive are notified by the IDNR.

While not believed to be contagious to humans or livestock, chronic wasting disease is known to spread from animal to animal among deer and elk. The disease affects the brain of the infected animal, causing them to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose coordination and eventually die.  Illinois expanded its CWD surveillance effort in 2002 following the discovery of the disease in neighboring Wisconsin.

Click here for more information on Illinois deer hunting regulations changes for 2009-2010.

Need any more reason to get fired up for this weekend’s Illinois firearm deer hunting season? Here’s a flashback to the 2008-09 firearm deer hunting season in Illinois with Journal Star writer and Prairie State Outdoors.com editor Jeff Lampe.

“We’re done with the soybeans and we’ve harvested about 70 percent of the corn,” said Pauli.

While the state’s soybean harvest is nearly complete, according to Monday’s crop report released by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, farmers are only halfway through harvesting corn.

Fifty-two percent of the state’s corn crop was reported as harvested. Over the past five years, 95 percent of the Illinois corn crop had been harvested by this date.

As of Monday, 90 percent of the state’s soybeans had been harvested. In the past five years, 99 percent of Illinois soybeans were harvested by this date.

Pauli called his bean crop “very disappointing” this year. “Yields are off considerably from last year,” he said.

While he averaged 50 bushels of soybeans an acre last year, this year’s bushel counts were in “the low 40s and some even in the 30s” per acre, said Pauli, citing the area’s unusually cool, wet weather as one of “the factors that were against soybeans this year.”

Those cool, wet conditions made white mold more of a problem for beans than usual in this area, he said. “That mold often hits soybeans grown in Wisconsin and Minnesota because of the cooler weather up there. This year, we had that kind of weather,” said Pauli.

A shortage of good growing days was also cited. “A lot of soybeans didn’t get in until June because it took farmers so long to get the corn in this year. Beans like a lot of sunlight and we had a lot of cloudy days this year,” he said.

But Pauli said his 2009 corn yields may equal those of last year. “The corn yields are good. We’ve had some fields with over 200 bushels per acre. I just hope a big wind doesn’t hurt the remaining stock,” he said.

The longer corn stays in the field, the more likely problems can occur, said Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau.

“There is that concern that a big wind storm could do damage. Stalk quality deteriorates with each day. The corn plant is an organic product and will degrade over time,” he said.

Wet corn remains the biggest factor in what has turned into one of the slowest harvests on record, said Kirchhofer. “The last two weeks have been good for harvest. We’ve seen some decent yields but the amount of moisture in the corn stands at around 23 or 24 percent. That means more drying time is needed,” he said.

Corn needs to reach a 15 percent moisture level before it can be stored.

“Farmers just have to wait if they don’t have enough drying equipment of their own. Some of the area (grain) elevators are closing down at midday. Some (are closing) at mid-morning because it takes so long to dry down the corn,” said Kirchhofer.

Deer ecologist Keith Warnke says more than 1,600 people also attended 11 public hearings regarding the change.

Warnke says hunters generally do not like starting the season a week earlier but there’s more support for a longer season if a week is tacked onto the traditional nine-day hunt, which begins the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

The Natural Resources Board authorized hearings on a longer season, starting in 2010, as a new way to control the growth of the whitetail herd.

Warnke says recommendations will be presented at the board’s December meeting in Madison.

Deputies were called to the Hawkeye Wildlife Area Monday afternoon after a caller reported his friends needed help after their boat overturned. While deputies were on their way to the area, Stephen Schultz called the sheriff’s office to report he had found the party, and all four members were safe aboard his boat.

The hunters were identified as Kevin McCafferty of Willowbrook, Ill., Eric Otte of North Liberty, and Wyatt Jans and Kurtis Kruger, both of Iowa City.

Two members of the party were taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for evaluation. The other two didn’t require treatment.

Authorities said Gerald Dabiew, 56, was cut and bruised from head to toe by the buck outside his house in Moira, 200 miles north of Albany.

“He got me down on the ground, and it was then I knew that he really wanted to kill me,” Dabiew told The Watertown Daily Times.

Dabiew’s house is surrounded by woods, so he didn’t think twice Friday when he saw the buck crossing the road - until the animal charged and knocked him down.

Dabiew wrapped his legs around the animal’s neck and held onto its antlers as it battered him. Every time Dabiew tried to wrestle himself loose, the buck would ram him
again, he said. The attack on Friday lasted several minutes before the buck ran off.

“I don’t know why he came around. All I was doing was throwing wood,” he said. “I’m not even a hunter.”

He said wood he was dropp ing into a bucket could have sounded like the antlers of jousting deer knocking together, a noise hunters often mimic to lure deer during rutting season.

Deer attacks are uncommon, but not unheard of, said wildlife biologist Ed Reed of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

“This is breeding season for whitetails, and they get pretty aggressive, usually with other bucks,” Reed said. “They have been known to attack people. If he sees something moving, he feels like it’s somebody encroaching on his territory.”

“I’ve been seeing him chasing does the past couple years and he’s just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” Graber said.

But the big buck didn’t get bigger and bigger by accident. He didn’t get bigger and bigger by running in front of hunters with bows or guns.

And he almost ran right past Graber on Oct. 26, when the Edwardsville bowhunter drew back to shoot at the big 25-point Madison County monster.

Graber had set up near a spot where he knew the buck would typically work. “I knew during the rut he always comes through this little ravine and area where the does are. It’s just like a funnel,” Graber said. “He’s always chasing does through there come the rut.

“So that was the first time I hunted in his spot this year because I didn’t want to take any chances of wearing it out or anything.”

Graber showed up at 2 p.m. carrying a climber stand. He set up near a creek with a good doe trail right underneath his stand. He also set up in the rain and it never stopped raining that evening.

“It was one of those days it was 65 degrees so I wore a light jacket that wasn’t waterfproof. About 5:30 p.m. came and it started to get get chilly and I kept saying 15 more minutes, 15 more minutes,” Graber said. “Then about 5:45 p.m. he came out of the creek where I didn’t expect him to come out.”

The buck was 40 yards away and then turned broadside—walking out at the exact spot where Graber had walked to his stand. “I knew he was on me, so as soon as a I saw him I reached down to pick up my bow,” Graber said. The bow did not come easily, though, and by the time Graber drew back his shot was not so easy.

“All of the sudden I couldn’t pick him up through my sights,” he said. “I could just barely see his body and antlers so I said, ‘I might as well take a shot.’ I was aiming pretty much in the middle of his body.”

But Graber’s shot was deflected, as the arrow hit a tree or limb.

Instead of hitting the middle of the buck’s body, the arrow hit the buck dead center in the ear.

“He dropped and I guess it pretty much paralyzed him somewhat, though his legs were still kicking,” Graber said. “He flipped over and did some snowplowing and then went off a 20-foot cliff into the water and drowned.

“You couldn’t place an arrow any better. It went right in his ear and the broadhead actually broke off. It’s just unbelievable.”

Graber remains stunned by his good fortune.

“I can shoot 40 yards pretty consistently to keep in a 3-4 inch circle. I do a lot of practicing,” he said. “I don’t know what happened or how it happened. It was luck. It was one of those things of being in the right place at the right time.”

Ironically, Graber didn’t know how big the buck proved to be. “He never looked as big as he was. You couldn’t see all the stickers,” said Graber, who has been bowhunting for most of his 35 years. “It looked like a decent 10-12 pointer, but I had no idea he had 25 points.”

And a man was charged with firing a shot near the freed deer and officers.

New Castle City police said the incident began about 9 p.m. Friday on Del. Route 9 near Rogers Manor. A motorist hit a deer and it got wedged in the car’s bumper and grille.

The motorist drove the car to police headquarters. Agents from the Delaware SPCA tranquilized the animal and police and agents took it to the Quigly Farm area and released it.

As the officers were watching, they heard a gunshot. Neither the officers nor the deer was hit.

Thirty-one-year-old Victor L. Bryson was charged with reckless endangering and other offenses.

State conservation officers say the boy shot himself in the hand Saturday near the Owen County town of Spencer and was taken to Bloomington Hospital for treatment. Conservation Officer Max Winchell says there are no age or license requirements for those hunting on their own land.

Authorities also say 65-year-old hunter Jerry Adair of Goshen was found dead Saturday evening on the ground beneath his tree stand near the Noble County town of Kimmel in northeastern Indiana. An autopsy found he died of a heart-related medical condition.

The Callaway County Sheriff’s Department says 67-year-old Bernie Breer died Saturday at University hospital.

Authorities say the shooter, a 57-year-old man from Frontenac, was taking his deer rifle out of its sling when it went off.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is investigating, but no foul play is suspected.

Authorities say 15-year-old Madyson Darnell of Johnston City died after the Friday night wreck in Williamson County.

Family and friends held a candlelight vigil in Darnell’s memory over the weekend in West Frankfort, remembering the teenager as a cheerleading enthusiast.

Services will be at 11 a.m. at the South Point Church of God in West Frankfort.

In fact, the overall ratio for bowhunters last week was 67.4 percent bucks—bringing the overall season average to 50.6 percent does and 49.4 percent does.

Preliminary archery deer harvest totals through Sunday, Nov. 15, stand at 49,546 as daily harvest rates increased to 1,586 deer per day from last Monday through Friday (compared to 1,153 per day for the previous week). And last weekend showed 2,339 deer per day despite plenty of rain on Sunday. Overall, harvest rates for last week were only slightly off the four-year average.

And while the harvest totals through Sunday are ahead of last year (45,844), archers have slipped behind 2007 (50,462), 2006 (50,396) and 2005 (52,075).

Significant amounts of standing corn remain and with rain in the forecast for much of this week, that may not change much heading into Friday’s start of firearm season.

Top five counties in terms of archery harvest are:

• 1. Pike 2,830
• 2. Fulton 1,424
• 3. Jefferson 1,129
• 4. Adams 1,122
• 5. Peoria 1,053

Here’s a look at the entire state. Illinois_archery_deer_report_11-16-09.pdf

One of those recent bucks went to Brian Koziel of New Lenox (below), who was hunting in Will County and thanks the rut for his success. Koziel actually chased the buck down and got a 25-yard shot. “Only during the rut would this tactic work,” he said. He said the buck green scored at 162 1/2 inches.

On Saturday Marty Fenner was hunting in DeWitt County and shot this 9-pointer with his PSE bow and Muzzy broadheads.

The Callaway County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release that another deer hunter accidentally shot the 67-year-old man from St. Louis in the abdomen Saturday. The shooter was taking his deer rifle out of its sling when it went off.

The names of the victim and the shooter were not released.

The hunter was airlifted to University Hospital. The sheriff’s department said the victim is expected to survive.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is investigating.

The state’s regular firearm season for deer opens Sunday and runs through Nov. 30.

Hunting hours run a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset throughout the state.

The Department of Natural Resources says licensed hunters can shoot from portable tree stands, scaffolds or raised platforms but cannot use their cars or trucks as hunting platforms.

The state’s baiting ban still is in effect in Lower Michigan. The ban was imposed last year in response to a case of chronic wasting disease in Kent County and carries up to 90 days in jail if violated.

The ban doesn’t apply to scent products that attract deer with odors.

But seldom will you hear about a barefoot and pregnant woman on bed rest who sits in her parents’ living room and shoots a deer.

Kim Knapp of Goodfield laughs when her 2008 firearm deer season is summarized so succinctly. Yet those are the facts. And as another Illinois shotgun season nears, commemorating Knapp’s remarkable hunt seems appropriate.

Since marrying husband Kevin Knapp almost nine years ago, Kim has shot several deer. But the doe she downed last Nov. 22 ranks among the most memorable.

That’s because at the time of last year’s firearm hunt Kim was 7½ months pregnant and under partial bed rest. She was carrying twins and doctors — as well as family members — told Kim she wasn’t allowed to climb into a tree stand, as she normally would.

“She was pretty upset that we wouldn’t let her get outside and hunt,” Kevin said.

But doctors never said anything about hunting out of a recliner. Then again, most places such a plan wouldn’t work very well.

Fortunately for Kim, her parents Jerry and Becky Wyatt of Edwards live on a deer-filled Peoria County farm overlooking Kickapoo Creek. In addition to grassy bottom ground enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Wyatts own timber overlooking the Kickapoo.

That’s where Kim wanted to be last fall instead of sitting in a comfortable chair in her parent’s living room. Her angst only increased as the hours passed. On opening day Kim did not see a deer. Partway through the second day of hunting, with still nary a deer sighting, she called Kevin to give him an earful.

“She was letting me know about it and then all the sudden she told me she had to go because there were deer coming into the yard,” Kevin said.

Sure enough, a doe wandered into range. “My dad had set up a decoy and when she came running into the yard it caught her eye and she stopped,” Kim said.

When the doe walked within 40 yards, Kim got out of her recliner, picked up her 20-gauge shotgun and shot out of the living room window — all the while attired only in a t-shirt and jeans.

“Nobody could believe I shot one,” she said. “They were all outside freezing and I was inside warm and barefoot.”

At first she wasn’t sure her shot had been true, though. “The doe kind of went over a hill and I had no idea if I actually got her. So I had to wait until everybody came in to see,” Kim said.

That’s when she also learned that Kevin had shot a nice 9-point buck moments after she shot her doe.

Three weeks later on Dec. 9, Knapp gave birth to twins Kyler and Kelsey. Kim figures the twins will hear this story plenty of times.

“Probably from everyone,” she said. “And they will grow up in the hunting environment. (Eldest daughter) Katlyn already goes and is itching to get out during shotgun season. It’s in their blood, so they will probably think it’s great. Hopefully.”

This coming weekend, though, the twins will be with babysitters while both parents head to the timber. Kim is glad she won’t have the luxury of a recliner or a heated room this time around.

“People think it’s luxurious when you’re on bed rest, but it really isn’t,” she said. “This year will actually be more relaxing because I’ll have more time to myself.”

The one thing she probably won’t find in the timber is a better story.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s taken a retired mathematician to show us the way. Farmer’s wife Sue Robinson, who taught math for 20 years at Taylorville Junior High School, has put her thoughts and observations into a book called “Roadside Wild Flowers of Christian County.”

She also just happens to be a strikingly good artist, and the book’s 148 glossy pages are illustrated with her watercolors depicting the plants in exacting detail. Being a mathematician, she’s even taken a knife to some specimens to slice them open to better understand the methodology of their construction and constantly comes away an admirer of their maker’s handiwork.

“I think God is partially a mathematician,” she said with a smile, seated in her farmhouse kitchen in the sticks near Stonington. She talks of things such as “Fibonacci” numbers and sequences, precise mathematical patterns that show up again and again in nature, from seashells to flowers, their designs put together like someone was following a pretty detailed blueprint.

That great human number cruncher, Albert Einstein, often thought he saw the fingerprints of an architect in the symmetries of the universe. He said: “There are two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle.” Count fellow number cruncher Robinson in the miracle camp. “There’s beauty everywhere,” she says of her wayside flowers.

She first began noticing them while running to get away from the consequences of conquering her addictions. A committed smoker who quit twice to have her kids but then always drifted back to smoking, she finally stubbed the habit for good 25 years ago and took up running to ward off the demons of post-nicotine weight gain.

“It’s a little boring out there sometimes,” she says, recalling the loneliness of the long-distance jogger. “And I would start noticing and counting how many different wildflowers I found. You see more when you are going slow enough and close enough to look.”

With her genetic makeup wired for painting as well as figuring, she soon began illustrating what she saw and, with a growing sense of curiosity, sought out the plant names and a little of their history. It all makes for fascinating reading in the book, which organizes its 65 plant entries by color to make looking them up faster and easier.

Sample this from page 118 for the plant known as “blue flag” or Iris shrevei: “Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and so the many colors of Iris blossoms led to the name,” Robinson writes. “Louis VII of France used the Iris in his coat of arms. The design is known as the fleur-de-lys.”

Or this from page 114 on spiderwort, a plant with bright blue flowers that rejoices in the Latin name Tradescantia ohiensis. “It was named after John Tradescant, King Charles’s gardener, who once planted a garden in which you could tell time by which flowers were blooming.”

On and on it goes, for page after alluring page. She mentions the medicinal properties of many of the plants that, once growing everywhere, are now often confined to the colorful fringes of the vast corn and bean sameness we plant to harness nature to our hungry will. Even her husband, Bruce, whose ancestors have been breaking the prairie sod since the 1840s, has become a believer in the worth of wild flowers.

“I take the herbal supplement echinacea if I start getting a cold, because it will shorten it,” he says. He then explains echinacea comes from the purple coneflower, echinacea purpurea, and is used to boost the immune system.

Bruce Robinson says attitudes have changed to plants once seen by farmers as little more than a nuisance. He points out, for instance, that wild grassy waterways by the edge of farm fields have been found to act as “filter strips,” stopping a lot of runoff chemicals from getting into the water supply.

“I’ve learned you’ve got to have a balance,” he says, talking of making room for wildness at the edges of his land. “You can’t have a happy Mother Nature without giving something to Mother Nature.”

His wife’s gift to us is her book, a volume calculated to please both the reader and the grand mathematician she senses behind it all. “God gave us the wildflowers to enjoy, and then I think he gave me a little bit of talent and drew my attention to them,” she says.

“I believe I was supposed to make this book.”

A big reason for the decrease is stricter hunting limits. For the past few years hunters could kill up to five deer, but bag limits this season were tightened in many areas to just one deer.

Dennis Simon, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources, said limits were made too liberal around 2005 when people in many parts of the state complained there were too many deer.

Since then, deer populations in some areas have dropped 10 to 50 percent.

Some hunters say the limits are too strict because there are more than enough deer for the taking. Mark Johnson, a spokesman for the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association said the DNR did a good job of reducing the herd size, and now it just needs to maintain a good population balance.

“From a management standpoint , the DNR’s been doing a good job. Now it’s the public saying, well, maybe we don’t want that few deer. Maybe we want more deer again,” Johnson said. “So it’s that yo-yo back and forth that we’re seeing in play right now.”

Some sporting-good retailers said business was already hurting because of the economy, and the new rules could be making things worse.

Fewer hunters are coming into Delaney Sport Center, owner Kevin Lempola said, and those who are shopping are spending less. Over-the-counter hunting license sales at his store are down by nearly 25 percent, marking what he said is a tough financial blow.

“Over the weekend, if you’re down 70 people coming through your door on one given day, that amounts to a fair amount of business,” he said.

Lempola blames the hunting restriction, which he said sends hunters to the northwestern part of the state where deer populations are higher and the five-deer bag limit is still in place.

There are other rea sons why hunters are spending less.

The economy, of course, has people watching their spending. But the weather has been an issue as well. With temperatures warmer than usual, hunters have spent less money this year on warm clothing, typically a costly expense.

But between forays into the woods, there should be time to think about habitat management as a way to guarantee good harvests far into the future – either of timber or game.

The weather is comfortable for physical work, and for the most part – the bugs are gone.

Fall historically is the time when prairie and woodland burns occurred.

It’s also a great time to get a handle on invasive species. Non-native invaders are the second biggest reason native species become endangered after habitat loss.

Many invasive plants stay green long after their native counterparts have gone dormant, making identification easy and cutting the wrong thing by mistake less likely.

It’s also a time to gather seeds to plant later or supplement an ongoing project.

Invasive species

Not everyone is in a tree stand or duck blind right now.

On Saturday at the Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, 2315 Clear Lake Ave., volunteers are helping the Friends of the Sangamon Valley and Illinois Audubon Society remove bush honeysuckle.

Birds rapidly spread honeysuckle when they eat the bright red berries and deposit the seeds perfectly prepared to germinate in their droppings.

Native to Korea, Japan and China, bush honeysuckle can fill in the forest under-story, shading out young trees and smothering spring wildflowers.

It stays green and at this time of year is very easy to spot, cut and treat.

Other invasive plants, such as autumn olive, also stay green. Government experts once recommended autumn olive as a great plant for wildlife. Land managers have been fighting a constant battle against it ever since. Look for leaves with silvery undersides.

Garlic mustard is sending up basal rosettes, growing low to the ground in preparation for next year’s growing season.

Winter creeper is another landscape plant that can become invasive. For the convenience of land managers, it also stays green late in the season.

Fall burns

American Indians burned the prairies for centuries before Europeans arrived on the scene.

They burned to clear land for growing crops and stimulate fresh growth to attract game.

They also set ring fires around animals to drive them to an opening where the hunting party was waiting.

Explorers Meriweather Lewis and William Clark set the prairies ablaze whenever they wanted to attract attention of Indians during their expedition up the Missouri River more than 200 years ago. They literally used fire as a communication tool to summon leaders for meetings.

The weather has been wet this fall, but the prairies and woods dried out nicely during a weeklong stretch of sunshine – opening a very brief window of opportunity.

These days, however, conventional wisdom dictates most burns occur in spring.

There are pros and cons to when burns take place.

Spring burns have been favored because they leave cover for wildlife throughout the winter. Fall burns get the nod for helping promote the growth of flowering plants by keeping grasses in check.

Most often, weather dictates the timing of burns as crews pay especially close attention to temperature, wind speed and direction and humidity.

Seeding

If some plants are missing from the prairie matrix, or it more diversity is desired. A frost seeding following a burn can give those supplemental seeds a chance to overwinter – a process call stratification that triggers germination the following spring. Some seeds that sit inside all winter won’t sprout until they spend at least one winter outside – or at least in the refrigerator.

New prairies can be seeded down with a cover crop, like an annual rye, to keep the soil in place and weeds in check so slow growing prairie seedlings have the best possible chance to establish.

Successful landowners

The work can be time consuming and frustrating, but some have risen to the challenge.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced its Wildlife Landowners of the Year recently.

Honorees made use of a variety of conservation programs including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program and found help from local conservation organizations and non-profit groups.

Winners include:

Dan Sawicki, Ogle County

Pat Hogan, Kendall County

Roy and Kim Tsuda, Macon and DeWitt Counties

Michael and Gail Cochran, Brown County

Tim and Bill Rengel, Saline County

Fighting the good fight

The good news is that one doesn’t have to go into this battle alone. Plenty of resources are available. Some conservation groups may even help landowners by splitting the cost of seeds and equipment.

DNRs’ Acres for Wildlife Program is one place to start. Visit: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orc/Wildliferesources/AFW/

Many times, a hunter shoots what he thinks is a trophy buck only to discover that buck’s rack is shorter, narrower and has less mass than was originally thought. I have heard several times, and have said myself.

“I thought it had bigger horns when I pulled the trigger.”

If you have trail cam pictures of a big buck, or if you have watched one through your binoculars, field scoring easier while your heart rate is normal. That’s in the ideal. Many of us first catch sight of the big fella when he steps into a shooting lane. The experts say there are things you can do quickly to indicate the trophy potential of the buck some yards away. A mature buck has heavy hindquarters. He is big bodied. His legs look short. A buck that appears to have long legs is probably not a mature buck.

A mature buck’s ears are roughly seven inches long, and the distance between them is about 18 inches. A rack that doesn’t spread past the ears won’t garner very many oohs and ahhs when it’s spot lighted over the fireplace. After the main beams get past the ears, tall is better than wide. If a buck’s tines are longer than his ears, find a shooting rest. American Hunter magazine says, “Nine of the 11 scoring measurements for a typical ten point buck are based on length. You want at least ten long points, with brow tines over five inches long being a bonus,”

OK. Now you’ve assessed the body mass, counted, and measured. If it all adds up, you’ll take a shot. In reality, by the time you go through the whole checklist, you may end up trying to estimate the length of that mature long white tail as it bounds off in the brush.

If all you want is a deer for the freeze, size doesn’t matter. If you are hunting for a wall hanger, set your goal, then spend some time learning what that deer looks like. Many 120-inch bucks were thought to be 140- or 150-inch deer while they were still on the hoof. Do some homework before you go hunting.

You really don’t want to be adding up a rough score when you should be concentrating on an aiming point. Take a look at pictures of scored trophy mounts. Visit a local taxidermist, look at the mounts he has on the wall. He sees a lot of deer. Ask him what he thinks the deer will score. See what kind of buck will meet your personal standards and store those images on your mental hard drive.

Then, if your trophy opportunity presents itself, you can concentrate on the task at hand.

For Big John, Tony, Buckwheat and me, time also begins on opening day, but it has nothing to do with the baseball.

Our opening day comes on the first Saturday in November — opening day for upland hunters. We start tearing pages off the calendar starting Jan. 15 until we get to the opener.

Before the sun breaks the horizon, the dogs will be in the boxes, the hunting vests and gun cases will be in the truck and we all will be heading for the same place we met last year. Rain or shine, hot or cold, foggy or clear, all four of us will be on deck.

It’s not necessary to check schedules. We all know what day it is. And, we all know that Buckwheat will be late, Tony will be early and John will be pacing up and down mumbling about Internet meteorological data indicating that an Arctic cold front will be here 10 days from last Tuesday and deep six the bird-hunting prospects until the day after Christmas. John is happiest when he’s worried about the weather.

For me, the familiarity is reassuring. This hunting season will begin the same way last season did, right down to the scalding cup of convenience-store coffee that looks, and smells, like road tar. Soon, the dogs will be on the ground and we’ll be back in business.

Every upland hunting season comes with a jet engine strapped to it. The time flies by at Mach 2. Because this year’s first Saturday in November is as late as it can possibly be, we are a week behind before we get started. It will be mid-January long before we have had enough time afield.
I don’t pay much attention to the upland hunting forecasts. It doesn’t matter whether the prognosis is stellar or cellar. We’d go hunting this morning if the experts said there wasn’t a game bird between here and the Illinois River.

We have been at it long enough to know that upland hunting, and quail hunting in particular, isn’t as good as it used to be, and might never be again. It seems every year we hunt harder for fewer opportunities to see the dogs to go on point. As long as we see that once in a while, we will keep trying.

It’s a good day to be optimistic, and to keep things in perspective. Every trip afield is more about the people who go along than it is about filling a game bag.
Even if there isn’t a covey in that old hedgerow, on the far side of that muddy field, getting over there to find out is always worth the trip.

Access will be allowed at the former arsenal’s Group 811 bunker field on Midewin’s west side. The larger grass-covered bunker field is just south of CenterPoint Intermodal Center at Elwood.

The bunker field extends into the north end of the 385-acre Middle Grant Creek Restoration Area.

“The area will be open to foot traffic only,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Marta Witt.

A total of 9,100 acres—nearly half of the 18,225 acres at the former Joliet arsenal—is now open to the public.

“The new area will also be open for deer hunting, managed by splitting the former bunker field into two zones: 811 North and 811 South,” Witt said.

“There are over 130 bunkers in Group 811 and Prairie Creek runs east-west through it. We’re doing a lot of habitat restoration in thi s area, removing a few bunkers in areas that will be very wet when the hydrology is restored.”

Midewin also has opened a new Grass Frog temporary trail along the South Patrol Road Restoration Area. The two-mile mowed path crosses some of the most mature prairie restoration areas at Midewin. The trail can be reached from the parking lot at the River Road seedbeds.

Long-range plans call for a permanent trail there, suitable for hiking, biking and horseback riding, Witt said.

“New maps are being published and will be available soon,” Witt said. “The new maps will be available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/ within the next couple days.”

During the first week of December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to perform scheduled maintenance on Barrier IIA, one of two electric barriers presently in operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal constructed to prevent the movement of the destructive Asian carp into Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Performing scheduled maintenance is required in order to maintain reliability of the structures and minimize the risk of unplanned outages due to inadequate
maintenance.

During the maintenance shutdown, Barrier I will remain active. However, because of late summer detection of Asian carp near the barrier system and concern that
Barrier I may not be effective in deterring juvenile fish, a fish toxicant called rotenone will be applied to the canal between the barrier and the Lockport Lock and Dam.  The application will allow for the removal of Asian carp and other fish to keep them from advancing past the barrier toward Lake Michigan.  Illinois EPA water quality experts will be monitoring downstream of the application zone to ensure that the waters of the state are protected, and the chemicals do not move beyond the designated application area.

“The barrier is currently the only protection against Asian carp for the Great Lakes and the maintenance shutdown may present an opportunity for the destructive fish to advance up the canal toward Lake Michigan,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Assistant Director John Rogner.

During this process, the U.S. Coast Guard will be enforcing a safety zone and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic between CSSC Mile marker 291 and CSSC Mile Marker 298.  The waterway is planned to be closed beginning December 2 and last for the duration of operations.

“We understand the impact of this canal closure on commercial and recreational waterway users, but it is necessary to help protect lives, prevent long-term damage to the ecosystem, and facilitate the working group’s application of rotenone and its cleanup, ” said Rear Adm. Peter Neffenger, Commander of the Ninth U.S. Coast Guard District. “We will work closely with our partner agencies to reopen the waterway as soon as operations permit.” 

Asian carp have been detected using environmental DNA testing in the canal below the barrier, and there is consensus among federal, state, and local agencies along with other partners that actions must be taken to prevent these invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan while Barrier IIA is shut down.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), in coordination with the multi-agency Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup along with the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, will manage the application of rotenone in the CSSC.  While the toxicant will eradicate Asian carp and other fish in the canal, rotenone does not present a risk to people or other wildlife when used properly.

The application of rotenone is planned for December 3, and crews from the IDNR and other agencies will remove fish from the canal and dispose of them in a landfill.  The fish habitat in the section of the canal scheduled for treatment is made up of mostly non-sport fish with the most common species being common carp, goldfish, and gizzard shad.  Before the application of rotenone, an electro-fishing operation will be conducted to relocate as many sport fish as possible. Rotenone dissipates quickly on its own, but to accelerate that process a neutralizing agent known as potassium permanganate will be used following the application. 

The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup and its partners are committed to implementing the rapid response plan and completing the electric barrier maintenance as quickly as possible to expedite the reopening of the ship canal.

“Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes is one of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest priorities,” said Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on the Great Lakes.  “The plan announced today reflects a difficult, but critical team effort to protect the lakes against a destructive fish that could cause catastrophic damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem.”

Frequently asked questions

Here are frequently asked questions about Asian carp.

What are Asian carp?
There are three species of Asian carp that are considered invasive and a threat to the Great Lakes, the bighead, silver and black carp. Silver and bighead carp are filter-feeding fish and consume plant and animal plankton at an alarming rate.  Bighead carp can grow to very large sizes of over five feet in length and can weigh 100 pounds or more.  Black carp differ in that they consume primarily mollusks, and threaten native mussel and sturgeon populations. They can grow to seven feet in length and 150 pounds.

Where did Asian carp come from?
Asian carp were originally imported to the southern United States in the 1970s to help aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities keep retention ponds clean.  Flooding throughout the 1990’s allowed these fish to escape into the Mississippi and migrate into the Missouri and Illinois rivers.

Why are they a problem in Illinois?
Asian carp are a problem because of their feeding and spawning habits.

Bighead carp are capable of consuming 40% of their own body weight in food each day. Silver carp are smaller, but pose a greater danger to recreational users because of their tendency to jump out of the water when disturbed by boat motors.  They have severely impacted fishing and recreation on the Illinois River. They can spawn multiple times during each season and quickly out-compete native species by disrupting the food chain everywhere they go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS7zkTnQVaM ” title=“Click here”>Click here to see how they have devastated the Illinois River. 
   
What happens if Asian carp enter the Great Lakes?
Asian carp could have a devastating effect on the Great Lakes ecosystem and a significant economic impact on the $7 billion fishery. Once in Lake Michigan, this invasive species could access many new tributaries connected to the Great Lakes.  These fish aggressively compete with native commercial and sport fish for food. 
They are well suited to the water temperature, food supply, and lack of predators of the Great Lakes and could quickly become the dominant species.  Once in the lake, it would be very difficult to control them.

Where are the Asian carp now?
During 2002 monitoring efforts, Asian carp were detected in the upper Illinois River, just 60 miles from Lake Michigan. In 2009, by using a new method called eDNA testing, silver carp were detected considerably closer, within the Lockport Pool (Des Plaines River, and I&M Canal).
What is eDNA testing/How does it work?
Environmental DNA testing (eDNA) was developed at the University of Notre Dame to improve monitoring of invasive species. All fish, including Asian carp, release DNA into the environment. The presence of individual species can be detected by filtering water samples, and then extracting and amplifying short fragments of the shed DNA.

The objective is to use eDNA testing as an early detection tool to identify Asian carp locations.  For more information on eDNA testing click the link below.
http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/pao/eDNA_FactSheet_20090918.pdf.

Why have no actual Asian carp been found in the areas where eDNA testing has identified them?
Asian carp are still below a threshold of detection using traditional fishing gear. Electro-fishing is successful in detecting bighead and silver carp when they are in high abundance.  The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is, in some places, nearly 30 feet deep, which is another disadvantage to using traditional sampling methods.  In the early spring and late fall, the water is cooler and produces less algae (a main food source of bighead and silver carp diets), and the fish tend to reside a bit deeper than they would during warmer months. With decreased metabolism (not as much food), they are also less active and therefore harder to detect.

How would the fish enter Lake Michigan?
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is a manmade waterway that provides a direct connection between the Mississippi River system and Lake Michigan.  eDNA sampling suggests that the carp are already about a mile from the electric barrier located within the CSSC that is designed to deter them from advancing through the canal to Lake Michigan.

Are there other navigation points for fish to swim around the electric barrier?
Other points of possible entry to the CSSC above the electric barrier are the low lying areas of land positioned between the Des Plaines River, the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.  During heavy rainfall events, these areas are prone to flooding. A significant rain could flood the banks, joining the Des Plaines with the CSSC or the I & M canal with the CSSC, and allowing these fish to bypass the barrier and advance toward Lake Michigan.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others are currently investigating potential solutions to these bypass issues.

Why are you taking this action now?
Like all mechanical devices, the barrier system requires periodic maintenance. Barrier IIA is scheduled to undergo routine maintenance every four to six months. The last maintenance was done in April 2009 when Barrier IIA was put into full time operation. 

How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian carp?
• Don’t move live fish from one location to another.  Illinois state law prohibits the transport of live Asian carp. 
• Never use wild-caught baitfish in waters other than where they came from.
• Know the difference between juvenile Asian carp and Juvenile Gizzard Shad which look nearly identical.
• Drain lake or river water from live wells and bilges before leaving any body of water. 

What steps are being taken to prevent them from entering the Great Lakes?
• A group of biologist and response professionals including representatives of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S Coast Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are finalizing a response plan to address the potential immediate threat as well as more permanent long term solutions. 
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has installed two electric barriers in the CSSC to help repel the carp.  A third barrier is scheduled to be complete in 2010. 
• Asian Carp eDNA monitoring has been conducted by the University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Des Plaines River, CSSC, I&M Channel and the Chicago River.
• Fisheries biologists from state and federal agencies have increased their efforts to locate the fish using traditional fishing gear and electro-fishing methods.
• A fish toxicant called Rotenone will be applied to the CSSC while the Electric Barrier is down for routine maintenance in November.
• The Rapid Response Team is analyzing where the low water spots on the Des Plaines and the I & M canal are located and where the bypasses to the electric barrier occur.
What is rotenone?
Rotenone is a natural substance derived from the roots of several tropical and subtropical plants in the bean family. Use of this toxicant in North America began in the 1930s in ponds and lakes as a tool to sample fish populations or to completely eradicate undesirable fish populations. Rotenone is approved for fishery uses by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 

How does it work?
Rotenone affects all species of fish, although susceptibility to the chemical varies between species.  The chemical inhibits a biochemical process at the cellular level making it impossible for fish to use oxygen in the release of energy needed for body processes.  Rotenone is non-persistent, so there is no accumulation in the water, soil, plants or surviving animals.  The breakdown process is very rapid.  Ultimately, rotenone breaks down into carbon dioxide and water, two common substances.

What are the benefits to using rotenone?
There are many reasons why using rotenone is the logical choice to prevent the movement of Asian Carp. 
• The use of Rotenone provides the highest level of certainty that Asian carp will not advance past the electric barrier while it is shut down temporarily for routine maintenance. 
• Traditional fishing gear may not work.  Silver carp are very good at avoiding nets and the extensive navigational traffic in the canal makes using nets for bighead carp ineffective. 
• Nets would not remove all the fish and may miss the juveniles, which are of particular concern. 
• The International Joint Commission funded an Asian carp sensitivity project at the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Columbia, Missouri. Researchers determined that Asian carp are more sensitive to rotenone than to other chemicals that were tested.
• The overall quality of the fishery in the canal will improve by eliminating many undesirable species of fish and restocking in the future will improve the fishery.
     
What does recent research say about the use of Rotenone in fisheries management?
In 2007 the U.S. EPA completed a thorough evaluation of the human health and ecological risks associated with rotenone. In that evaluation, EPA concluded that rotenone could be used safely for fish management if used properly.
•   In situations where treated water is likely to move outside of the direct area of application, rotenone must be deactivated with a chemical agent (typically
potassium permanganate) to ensure that fish and aquatic life outside the treatment area will not be adversely affected.
• Applicators must post signs at access points to the affected area to prohibit recreational access during treatment, prohibit swimming for at least three days following treatment, and prohibit consumption of dead fish taken from the treated area.

For more information on the EPA evaluation, you can visit the following website. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/rotenone_red.pdf.

What other options were considered besides rotenone?
Many options have been considered including heating the water, capturing the fish with nets, herding the fish with noise or lights and trapping them, using explosives, removing oxygen from the water, increasing the flow at the lock, and sonic disruption.  It was determined that the most effective option to control the spread of Asian carp is the use of rotenone in a 5.7 mile section of the canal between Lockport and Romeoville (where the electric barrier is located).  The rotenone will eradicate Asian carp and other fish, only in that confined section of the canal.  The treatment area is an optimal location because there are no tributaries and it is below the confluence of the Cal-Sag Channel and Sanitary and Ship Canal. 

What are the risks of rotenone to people working on or living near the river?
The treatment will not pose any short or long term risk to people or pets. It is safe for other animals, except swine, to consume the fish. Scavengers and birds that eat any floating fish will not be adversely affected.  The Canal will be closed during and after the application period to ensure the safety of workers applying the chemical and to avoid potential hazards posed by collision with any of the vessels used to apply the toxicant. 

Have similar rotenone applications been successful?
Yes.  Rotenone is commonly used for fish management purposes in Illinois and many other states.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has more than 40 years experience using rotenone in lakes and streams.  It is used annually in Illinois on an average of 65 lakes totaling 475 acres of water.

If Rotenone is used, will it kill other living things besides Asian carp?
Yes.  Rotenone affects all gill-breathing organisms. In general, most common aquatic invertebrates are less sensitive to rotenone than fish. There are currently no toxicants that affect only Asian Carp.  If used correctly rotenone does not pose human health hazards or significant detrimental effects to domestic animals, other wildlife, and aquatic or terrestrial vegetation. 

What is being done to mitigate effects on wildlife?
• While the majority of fish in the treatment area are mainly considered rough, undesirable fish.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will conduct electro-fishing operations prior to the rotenone application to remove sport fish that may be present before application.  Any desirable fish caught will be relocated outside the treatment area.
• The IDNR will accelerate the detoxification process by adding potassium permanganate to the water once treatment is complete.
• The area will be restocked with more desirable fish in the future, improving the overall quality of fish in the area.

Is rotenone harmful to humans?
If used correctly rotenone does not pose human health hazards.

a. Can the chemical get into public drinking water systems?
No.  The nearest public drinking water system downstream is 125 miles from the CSSC.

b. Is it safe to eat fish affected by rotenone?
USEPA recommends collecting and burying fish killed by rotenone. The label specifically prohibits the consumption of treated fish. 

c. When will it be safe to eat fish from the river again?
As soon as the canal has been detoxified fish will be safe to eat. Rotenone detoxifies at a rapid rate.  Potassium permanganate will also be added to the treated water to accelerate the detoxification process.

When will the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) be closed, and for how long?
The CSSC will be closed to all traffic beginning on December 2, 2009 (weather permitting) and will stay closed for a period of 4-5 days.

The state Department of Natural Resources’ sales of the colorful $5 pins featuring the image of a deer will benefit the Sportsman’s Benevolence Fund.

Proceeds go directly to deer processors that receive donated deer and then send the meat to food banks across the state to help feed low-income Hoosiers.

The group Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry says that one donated deer can yield enough meat to provide 200 people with a meal.

The Department of Natural Resources used a preliminary count of deer registration stubs and hunter observation reports on the agency’s Web site to reach those conclusions.

Bow hunters took about 22,000 deer through Nov. 5, down from about 31,000 last year. The antlerless harvest fell by about 40 percent and the buck harvest climbed about 7 percent.

Wildlife managers attribute those figures to the lack of earn-a-buck regulations and fewer herd control units this year.

According Dave Alwan, owner of Echo Valley Meats at 608 W. Garfield Ave., he received a call around 6:45 a.m. from a woman who was driving nearby and saw the deer in action.

While Alwan and police initially thought the deer had come into the store, Alwan said video surveillance showed the deer crashing into the window and taking off. The deer was not found.

Bartonville Police Chief Brian Fengel said the broken window was worth $500, and nobody got hurt. Fengel said he has seen deer encounters like this before.

“I know it’s rut season for deer,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of deer accidents and a lot of deer running around.”

Fengel said the accident is a coincidence because Echo Valley Meats processes deer meat.

“We’re so good, they’re just dying to get in,” Alwan said.

The State Patrol says 27-year-old Jennifer Huston was driving Wednesday evening on Interstate 94 near Albany when she swerved to miss a deer. Her Mitsubishi Lancer rolled.

Huston was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, but doctors were unable to save her child. Huston had only minor injuries and was treated and released.

The work involves placing radio collars on elk, then making intensive aerial surveys to come up with better estimates of the number of animals.

For the past 15 years, elk populations were calculated using what was called the SAK (sex-age-kill) model. SAK depended on fall aerial surveys and annual harvest to estimate the components of the population, i.e., bulls, cows and juveniles.

But, according to Annemarie Prince, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, the SAK model had some problems when applied to elk populations in Southwest Washington.

“The real problem was not seeing enough elk during surveys,” Prince said.

Add to that warm temperatures in late summer, archery season under way, other recreational users in the field and t rouble securing helicopters.

State biologist Patrick Miller also said the herd composition data was inadequate.

So the autumn surveys were abandoned in 2008.

This February, new research got started.

State biologists put radio collars on 55 elk (44 cows, 11 bulls) scattered across the Winston, Loowit, Margaret, Coweeman and Toutle game units.

In March and April, there were two weeks of surveys across the five game management units.

“These resighting flights are being used to generate statistically robust estimates of elk numbers in the survey area using sophisticated mark-resight models,” Prince said.

The data will be used, along with possibly deriving a “sightability-correction model,” for future surveys of the Mount St. Helens elk herd.

The biologists also made one flight over the Yale, Lewis River, Washougal and Siouxon units to collect information.

Southwest Washington is home to three of the state’s elk herds.

T he Mount St. Helens herd is the largest in Washington. The two other local herds are on the south side of Mount Rainier and in the Willapa Hills.

Elk in Southwest Washington face many of the same challenges as deer. Among them:

- Less logging in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has reduced the forage that grows between timber harvest and reforestation.

- There’s more residential use than ever along Merwin, Yale and Swift reservoirs, which are important wintering areas for elk.

- There’s increasing development throughout the lower elevations of Southwest Washington, and landowners tend to be intolerant of the damage done by elk.

Around Mount St. Helens, elk had excellent foraging in the early 1980s, following the big eruption. Then the industrial forest companies began massive reforestation.

Now, almost three decades later, these second-growth forests allow little light to reach the ground, meaning less quality food for the elk.

Ev en where logging is happening, the use of herbicides often lessens the forage available for elk.

The elk on the upper Toutle River mud flow are highly visible, and get lots of attention in years like 2008, when about 160 animals died during the winter at the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area.

To help those elk, the state and volunteers have planted and fertilized forage, plus attempted to stabilize the course of the North Fork of the Toutle River to lessen the erosion of feeding areas.

Beginning in 2006, the Department of Fish and Wildlife boosted the number of elk permits in game units around Mount St. Helens to cut the herd size from about 12,500 down to 10,000, a number believed better suited for the habitat available.

“With the recent harsh winters and increased permit levels with the Mount St. Helens herd, we believe we are approaching our management goals,” Prince said.

State biologists also are trying to get a handle on “hoof rot” among elk in Southwest Washington.

For more than a decade, there have been sporadic reports of overgrown and deformed hooves in elk locally, causing the animals to starve and die.

The number and geographic range increased dramatically in 2008, Prince said.

Samples from elk with deformed hooves, plus healthy elk, were taken for a variety of tests including radiology, trace minerals, bacteria, viruses and parasites.

“No samples had any major abnormalities,” Prince said. “The problem seems to be increasing in the region. More collections and samples are needed before a formal opinion can be made about the cause.”

Much less is known about the Willapa Hills elk herd.

Commercial forest owners have increased logging in the past five years in Willapa Hills unit 506 and Ryderwood unit 530, increasing forage somewhat.

Prince said the agency hopes to apply the population monitoring knowledge learned by the Mount St. Helens elk research to the Willapa Hil ls herd.

The South Rainier herd is estimated to be about 1,080 elk, according to Puyallup tribal biologists.

The tribe also is working with collared elk and aerial surveys to attempt to develop models for estimating the population.

Click here to read the full report.

“Look at all those ducks,” Doug Oberhelman (pictured above netting a mallard drake) said repeatedly as he wrapped cords and weights around decoys.

Funny, those were the exact words Steve O’Neill of Pekin uttered Tuesday when we hunted the public Spring Lake Bottoms unit. On that rainy, windy morning mallards were flying the Illinois River in impressive numbers until 10 a.m.

So why are waterfowlers frustrated in so many places through two weeks of the Central Zone season? Unfortunately, most spots aren’t holding that many ducks. And where ducks are flocking, conditions have so far favored the birds.

High water creates numerous headaches for hunters. Longer decoy strings. Flooded blinds. Limited access to traditional spots. Perhaps most important is that high water provides ducks with many more safe places to congregate.

For the Rice Pond that’s good news. Club members have bagged more than 500 birds and the club’s Douglas Lake has been holding 20,000 to 40,000 ducks (though Wednesday’s count dipped to 18,150).

“We’ve had a great year so far,” Oberhelman said as we headed out of Chillicothe. I can see why. We shot a limit of 12 mallards by 9:45 a.m. and got to watch Tom
Finch’s 6-year-old Labrador retriever Roxie make several impressive long retrieves.

Seeing dogs like Roxie and like O’Neill’s veteran Hope do their thing is probably the main reason I love duck hunting.

Shooting is fun, though. And smoking barrels have also been the norm at Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area, where the kill total through Wednesday was 540 birds.

That’s a throwback to the good old days for Marshall, once a hotspot that has lately been plagued with too much mud and not enough water. Diehards there deserve some good shoots.

But for most public sites and many private clubs, high water has meant high frustration.

“Things are slow, slow, slow and from what I hear, that’s true most places,” said Mike Resetich, who runs the Donnelley and Lake DePue public areas. “I talk to people all the way down to Grafton and they are not seeing many birds.”

Wednesday’s aerial census bolsters that claim. The count of 182,820 ducks along the Illinois River is well off the 10-year average of 324,795 and the mallard total of 97,325 is woefully behind the 211,859 average.

Compounding the problem is that greenheads are far too savvy.

For instance, few of those mallards we saw at Spring Lake would work our blind, though we scratched down four ducks and one Canada goose.

“You ought to see all the mallards coming in here at night. They’ve just been flooding in before dark,” Spring Lake site manager Stan Weimer said. “But they aren’t here during the day.”

Maybe that explains why Banner Marsh is having what staffer Rick Valois calls “a terrible year,” with fewer than 200 ducks. Or why Woodford is struggling to meet its usual high standards. Or why the Emiquon Preserve is below average despite 69,205 ducks (and an amazing 99,425 coots) in the recent survey.

“The vegetation is a little different this year, so it makes hunting tougher at several sites,” said Doug Blodgett of the Nature Conservancy, which oversees Emiquon.
“With limited habitat, it seems like you chase them out and they come back.

“Now when you chase them out, they go somewhere else and they’re happy as a camper.”

Even spots with respectable totals like Rice Lake (958 ducks for 858 hunters through Wednesday) have been inconsistent.

Many waterfowlers are hoping receding waters will force birds back into traditional refuges and hunting areas. For a little while, anyway, that should help hunting.

But then comes a larger question only time will answer: Will there be enough food in the valley to hold birds when the next migration arrives?

Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake)
Walleye, catfish and white bass fishing have improved this week.  Remember that Storm Lake has a 17 to 22-inch slot length limit.  All walleye in that range must be immediately released.  Channel Catfish - Good: Try using a minnow or chub below a slip bobber.  White Bass - Good: Anglers are having good luck casting twisters; chartreuse has been a good color.  Walleye - Good: They are still catching fish using a minnow or chub under a slip bobber and fishing in the marina, but anglers are also catching walleye fishing rocky points.  People are also having good luck using twisters (chartreuse) and also floating crankbaits, like traditional Rapalas; black and silver has been a good color.  Walleye seem to be really shallow.

North Twin Lake
Anglers have been catching a few walleye.  Walleye - Slow: Successful anglers have fished from boats or off the docks that are still out.

Swan Lake
The water has cleared and anglers are catching medium sized crappie and bluegill.  Crappie - Good: Anglers have been doing well fishing for 6 to 7-inch crappies.

Fishing seems to have picked up somewhat this week.  For more information about these lakes and rivers call Don Herrig (712-657-2638) at the Black Hawk District Office in Lake View.

NORTHEAST
Cedar River (Nashua to La Porte City)
Anglers are getting out again now that rivers have stabilized. Hopeful for better report next week!  Walleye - Slow: Anglers have not been out due to increased water levels.

Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock)
Anglers are getting out again now that rivers have stabilized. Hopeful for better report next week!  Walleye - Slow:

Wapsipinicon River (Tripoli to Troy Mills)
The Wapsi River is slowly dropping after recent rainfalls but anglers are starting to catch walleye, smallmouth bass and crappies throughout the river.  Smallmouth Bass - Good: Smallmouth fishing has been good using jig and twister combination tipped with or without a minnow.  Crappie - Good: Anglers are having good success on crappies both below low head dams and around structure in impoundment areas.  Walleye - Good: Try using jigs tipped with or without a twister tail and a minnow or crawler for these actively feeding fish.

Maquoketa River (above Monticello)
Now that the river level is receding again, concentrate in the deeper holes as fish migrate towards overwintering areas.  Walleye - No Report: Walleyes are aggressive this time of year with the onset of winter. Try jigging the deeper holes using a jig and minnow as they move into their overwintering areas.

Northeast Iowa interior rivers are still falling from recent rainfall events and fishing has been real spotty on the rivers. Reports are that anglers are beginning to pick up a few more fish now that the rivers are becoming more stable. Due to such unstable fall weather conditions, crappie fishing has only been fair to poor for most of our district lakes. For more information contact the district office in Manchester at 563-927-3276.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Mississippi River Pool 9
River level at Lansing is 8.4 feet and falling. Water temperature is 48 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are staring to hit on wax worms in the backwaters.  Walleye - Good:  A few nice walleye being caught in Minnesota slough.

Mississippi River Pool 10
River levels at Lynxville are 15.4 feet and falling.  Water temperature is 48 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegills are starting to hit on wax worms in backwaters.  Crappies - Fair: A few crappie being caught in Joyce Lake near the tree piles.  Sauger - Good: A lot of smaller fish being caught in the tail waters with a few limits of nice fish.  Walleye - Good: Walleye action has slowed a bit in the tail waters but a few nice fish are still being caught.  A few fish are being caught at the bottom of nearby sloughs.

Mississippi River Pool 11
River level at Guttenberg is 6.9 feet and falling steadily.  Water temperature is 48 degrees.  Bluegill - Good: Bluegill fishing has been good in the Marina near Mud Lake.  Crappies - Fair: A few crappie being caught in Swift and Dead slough.  Sauger - Good: A lot of smaller fish being caught with a few nice fish in the tail waters.  Walleye - Good: Action for big walleyes has slowed a bit but some nice fish still being caught in the tail waters.

Water levels have been up but are beginning to fall steadily. River levels at Guttenberg are 6.9 feet, Lynxville 15.4 feet and Lansing 8.42 feet.  Water temperature is 48 degrees.

Mississippi River Pool 16
River level is 7.81 feet and dropping.  Sauger - Good: Sauger are biting in Sylvan Slough and Sunset Marina

Mississippi River Pool 17
River level at Lock and Dam 16 tail water is 6.55 feet and is dropping.  Channel Catfish - Slow: catfish are still biting but have slowed down.  Crappie - Good: Crappie are biting in the backwaters on jig and minnow

Mississippi River Pool 18
River level is 9.15 feet and falling

Mississippi River Pool 19
River level is 5.92 feet and falling

River levels are dropping along the lower river.  Current water temperature is 50 degrees.

SOUTHEAST
Lake Geode
Water temperature might make 50 degrees during the afternoon.  Nice weather has brought a few anglers out.  Bluegill - Slow: Work the ledges and edges of the deeper weed beds with jigs tipped with wax worms to pick up a few fish.

Lake Belva Deer
Paving of the roads will begin next spring.  Bluegill - Slow: Not many anglers have been out.  The ones that have been out are concentrating their effort out along the creek channel in the trees.

Pollmiller Park Lake
The fishing has been slow with very few anglers doing any fishing. 

Lake of the Hills
Last week’s rains and higher water levels have slowed the fishing down.  Rainbow Trout - Fair: Fish early in the day using worms or power bait.

Lake Darling
The lake remains drained.

Skunk River (Coppock to Mississippi River)
The river is now well within its bank and continues to drop slowly.

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)
The river is finally within its banks but just a couple of feet below being bank full.

For more information on the above lakes call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at (319) 694-2430.

Lake Macbride
Crappie - Slow: A few fish are being picked off from deeper brush with small jigs or minnows.

Pleasant Creek Lake
White Bass - Fair: White bass are still being caught. Use electronics to find schools and cast crankbaits or jigs.  Crappie - Fair: Some suspended fish are being caught on jigs or minnows.  Walleye - Slow: A few anglers are picking up the occasional walleye.

Coralville Reservoir
Fishing has been essentially nonexistent due to extremely high water.  The level has finally crested at 704 feet, which is 18 feet above normal, and should start slowly falling, barring a rain event.

With the weather and water cooling, fishing activity has been low, resulting in lack of available reports. For more information contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Lake Wapello
The lake has been renovated and is being allowed to fill.

Lake Keomah
Channel Catfish - Slow: Try using a night crawler or cut bait along the shoreline.  Bluegill - Slow: Anglers are using small jigs tipped with a wax worm fished around structure.  Largemouth Bass - Slow: Try rubber worms along the fishing jetties or around submerged structure.

Lake Miami
The lake is 6 feet low due to a planned drawdown.  The boat ramps are still usable.  Channel Catfish - Slow: Use night crawlers or cut bait.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use spinner baits around the flooded timber or areas with submerged structure.  Try using rubber worms in the same areas.

Lake Sugema
Bluegill - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with a wax worm or chunk of night crawler around any type of submerged structure.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use spinner baits or crankbaits around submerged structure.  Crappie - Fair: Use jig and minnow combinations around the flooded timber.  Keep moving until finding active fish.  Walleye - Slow: Try a jig and minnow combination around areas with rocky shorelines.

Rathbun Reservoir
The lake’s water temperature is in the low 50s.  The lake level is 905.95 feet, with normal pool being 904.00 feet.  The boat ramp at Honey Creek State Park is closed due to road construction.  Channel Catfish - Slow: Cut bait has been catching some nice sized channel catfish.  Crappie - Slow: Anglers are catching crappies around submerged brush piles in 10 to 15 feet of water.  Most fish are being caught on a jig and minnow combination.  Walleye - Slow: Trolling crankbaits around submerged drop-offs and underwater islands has been successful.

For additional fishing information in southeast Iowa, contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406.

SOUTHWEST
Rock Creek Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. 

Roberts Creek Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. 

Big Creek Lake
Crappie - Good: Some crappies are being caught by drifting minnows or small pink and white jigs in the main lake over the roadbeds.  They are being caught suspended from 5 to 15 feet deep.

Easter Lake
We have received no information regarding fishing on this water body this week. 

Hickory Grove Lake
Bluegill - Slow: Some bluegills are being caught fishing light tackle such as small tube jigs or ice fishing jigs tipped with small pieces of crawler or wax worms, in 10 to 15 feet of water near submerged brush or pallet piles.  Crappie - Slow: A few crappies are being caught fishing minnows or small tube jigs near the submerged brush and pallet piles in around 15 feet of water.  There is sunken habitat off most of the points.  A depth finder will help in locating the structure.

Red Rock Reservoir
White Bass - Fair: White bass are being caught below the Roberts Creek spillway and the reservoir spillway throwing chrome, chrome/green, or chrome/blue casting spoons.  Crappie - Fair: Some decent catches of crappie have been caught around the docks in the marina using minnows or small jigs.

Saylorville Reservoir
White Bass - Good: Rains have caused water to start going over the Big Creek spillway again.  Anglers are catching a few white bass here.  Crappie - Good: Crappie are being caught around Marina boat docs on small jigs and minnows.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: Anglers fishing for white bass below the Big Creek spillway are also hooking in to a few good sized wipers.

Banner Lake (South)
Rainbow Trout - Good: 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked October 29.  They can be caught using various methods including crawlers, minnows, and artificial scented baits under a bobber or just off the bottom, or small inline spinners.

Stable weather conditions have brought on a good crappie bite on some lakes.  Contact Ben Dodd or Andy Otting at 515-432-2823 for information on the above area lakes and rivers.

Cold Springs Lake
Cold Springs Lake fish population was renovated in 2006 and anglers are catching largemouth bass up to 17 inches.  Largemouth Bass - Fair: Anglers are still catching largemouth bass fishing plastic baits along edges of vegetation.

Lake Anita
Lake Anita has provided good fishing most of the year. The size and condition of the bluegills and crappies has improved over the past summer setting Anita up for some good fall fishing.

Viking Lake
Viking Lake’s fish population was renovated in 2006 and the initial stocking of largemouth bass has reached 17 inches and catfish are over 20 inches.

Lake Manawa
Anglers are still catching good numbers of crappies in the canals and around docks.  Crappie - Fair: Crappies are being caught in the canals and around any remaining docks on tube jigs and minnows. You will need to sort for 9 to 10-inch fish.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) - Good: A good place to start is near the inlet from Mosquito Creek to locate wipers.

Saganaush Pond
Saganaush Pond was stocked with 1,500 catchable size rainbow trout on October 23. Access to the pond is by walk in only. There are two well maintained walking paths to the pond.  Rainbow Trout - Good: Anglers were catching trout using small jigs tipped with minnows. Most tackle used for catching crappie and bluegill can be used for trout.

A few anglers are having good success on sunny warm afternoons catching pan fish. Fish have moved deep with water temperatures below 50 degrees. For more information, contact Bryan Hayes or Mark Boucher at the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587.

Lake Icaria
Water temperature is in the upper 40s.  Water quality is good.

Lake of Three Fires
Water quality is good and fish are starting to move into deeper water.  Bluegill - Fair: Anglers have caught several fish by slowly jigging very small baits in at least 10 feet of water.  Crappie - Fair: A few crappies have been picked up by bluegill anglers fishing small jigs in at least 10 feet of water.

Green Valley Lake
The lake is down 12 feet until completion of a sediment removal project planned for this winter.  The lake has been restocked and will be allowed to refill in spring 2010.  Campground upgrades are nearing completion.

Summit Lake
Lake water level is being lowered.  Shoreline protection will be added this winter.  The lake will be refilled and restocked in the spring.

Three Mile Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 40s.  Clarity is good.

Twelve Mile Creek Lake
Water temperature is in the upper 40s.  Most anglers are trying for bluegill and walleye.  Most fish are in at least 15 feet of water near structure or the creek channel.  Bluegill - Fair: Several bluegill have been caught by the few anglers still out.  Small jigs tipped with crawlers or wax worms fished in at least 12 feet of water near flooded trees or the creek channel.  Walleye - Fair: The fall walleye bite is holding on well.  Jigging along the creek channel edges near the flooded timber in at least 14 feet of water seems to work the best.

Water temperatures are hanging around the low 50s.  The weather has stabilized.  Water quality remains good or very good.  Very few anglers are fishing but several fish are being caught.  Fish deeper water and slower, near structure.

“In fact, we even hear them yell that to each other,” says Lt. Steve Lane from the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division. “They know that if it doesn’t move, it’s probably a decoy.”

Let poachers keep thinking that elk decoys are as motionless as a Beefeater guard, because that will help the OSP bust these wildlife criminals one shaken head at a time.

Troopers now have a new robo-elk decoy that sports a remote-controlled mechanism that makes its head move, giving it a new level of animation in the ongoing fight against the illegal killing of Oregon’s biggest land mammals.

“Just that little bit of movement can make the difference with these seasoned poachers,” says Lane, who heads the OSP’s wildlife enforcement ef forts. “I’ll be interested to see how effective it becomes.”

This latest tool in the anti-poaching arsenal comes courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States, whose Wildlife Land Trust spent the $4,000 necessary to buy and ship the decoy from a Wisconsin firm that specializes in robo-mounts.

The full-bodied Rocky Mountain elk has detachable six-by-six point antlers so it can look like anything from a herd bull to a fat cow.

OSP troopers expect to get another set of smaller antlers for use primarily on the west side.

Like with decoy deer and turkeys, the robotic elk will be used primarily to go after poachers targeting animals out of season, in closed areas or at night.

It’s also good enough to pass as a Roosevelt elk, meaning it will help corner poachers on either side of the Cascades - without a real elk having to die to make a case.

That’s been the key to the Wildlife Enforcement Decoy Program since it was created in 1991 as a way of proactively working poaching and spotlighting cases. But the fake deer used at that time led primarily to minor charges because the offenders were shooting at something with the legal equivalent of a throw rug.

That changed in 1995, when the Oregon Legislature passed a law that tipped the scales a little toward the OSP when it targets poachers in the woods.

The law gives state police decoys the same legal status as a live animal in the woods. That means everything from casting a spotlight on wildlife to shooting one in any illegal fashion carries the same legal weight as if a real deer or elk was killed by the offending shooter.

Poachers shooting at decoys face possible prosecution for a Class A misdemeanor, punishable upon conviction of up to a year in jail, fines of up to $6,250 and loss of hunting privileges for two years in Oregon and surrounding states.

Poachers also face restitution if the decoy - often called Scruffy because of its bullet-r iddled hide and .270-caliber ear piercings - is damaged in the case.

In 2008, the OSP ran 225 Wildlife Enforcement Decoy operations across the state using primarily deer and elk decoys, though the decoy cache also includes antelope and bear decoys.

The decoys are usually stationed off roadways where they can be spotted by drivers actively scanning the hills for animals.

In 2008, troopers reported 1,206 vehicles drove past the decoys, and more than half included people spying the fake animal, OSP statistics show. People in 90 of those vehicles fired at the decoy, leading to 143 citations - mostly violations or misdemeanors but a few felonies for felons in possession of a firearm, statistics show.

The OSP annually publishes the statistics from the Wildlife Enforcement Decoy Program, and an Oregon hunter who saw the stats mentioned to Lane that he should ask for financial help from the Humane Society of the United States - a group most hunting organizati ons vilify as their main enemy.

So Lane called Robert Koons, who runs the trust out of its Seattle office.

Koons says he was happy to help the OSP curb as much poaching as possible, so the trust was willing to foot the bill for a new decoy of some kind.

A call to Custom Robotics in Wisconsin revealed that a robo-elk was almost done and ready for purchase.

Over the years, the OSP has added a few of Custom Robotics’ robo-deer to the program, with moving heads and wiggling tails helping catch the backwoods bad guys.

But those within that ilk have known for years that the decoy elk don’t move.

“I thought, this may be the thing we need,” Lane says.

The decoy had its maiden mission recently along the Santiam River.

Plenty of passers-by stopped to look at the robot, its head swinging back and forth as if to say “no” to the potential poachers.

They apparently took robo-elk’s heed, Lane says.

“We had no takers that first day ,” Lane says.

Officials dedicated Lile Lake Wednesday. It’s a fishing pond of a little under two acres for residents of the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Manteno and their families.

Lile Lake is on a grassy area in front of the Manteno between the main entrance. the service entrance. Private donations paid for it. Labor and equipment was donated by the Kankakee-Iroquois County Building and Construction Trades.

It is named for Forrest “Mickey” Lile. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was a teacher and coach and served as Manteno’s assistant superintendent for five years in the 1980s.

Troy Alan Reinke of Cannon Falls was charged Thursday with 13 counts of illegally taking a deer.

Court records say Reinke shot the deer on Halloween while hunting on private land. The state Department of Natural Resources believes the buck has the largest set of
eight-point antlers ever measured.

Prosecutors say it’s not the only buck Reinke killed in October. They say he admitted taking two others. The charges carry a maximum year in jail, $19,000 in fines and revocation of his hunting license if convicted.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 67-year-old James Dodson of Longtown died in the accident in Haskell County just before 6 a.m. Thursday.

Troopers say Dodson was southbound on State Highway 2 southeast of Quinton when he crashed into the animal in the roadway.

The whoopers made an attempt to reach their next destination in LaSalle County today, but returned to Winnebago County after flying 8 miles.

Pilots said they were clocking as little as 13 mph today and were worried they would not have enough fuel to make this leg. So they returned to the spot near Pecatonica where the birds and pilots spent last weekend.